


Rising From The Shadows

by Ravenof_flame



Series: Loki's Lullaby [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Hela (Marvel), BAMF Loki (Marvel), BAMF Natasha Romanov, Canon Divergence - Post-Thor: The Dark World, F/M, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki Helason, Not Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Compliant, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Past Mind Control, Steve's the Mom of the group, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Which is good because everyone has issues, loki friggason, loki laufeyson - Freeform, the avengers live together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:27:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 51,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22988641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenof_flame/pseuds/Ravenof_flame
Summary: Continuation of my one-shot, Loki's Lullaby.Hela manages to break out of her prison a little ahead of schedule. Now, she's on the war path.For his whole life, Loki has heard a whisper on the wind. It would always come when he was most at need of comfort. The whisper came in the form of a song, which he cannot seem to quite remember.He had never told anyone of this. So how does this strange woman know it better than he?Now, Loki has to decide where his loyalties lie. With the brother who never stopped loving him, or with the mysterious woman that has watched him for his entire life and who promases him revenge.
Relationships: Hela & Loki (Marvel), Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Natasha Romanov, Loki/Sigyn, Sif/Thor (Marvel)
Series: Loki's Lullaby [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652101
Comments: 19
Kudos: 132





	1. The Rise

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am saying this once, I do not own anything. Believe me, if I owned Marvel, then I would never have killed off Loki. Literally the second saddest scene in Infinity War.

Chapter 1:

It was time. After so long, it was time.  
For centuries, Hela had been imprisoned and could do nothing but watch as her existence was erased from history, her birthright was usurped by her fool of a half-brother, and the only legacy she had left, her son, was neglected and abused by the man she hated most, the self-proclaimed protector of the Nine Realms.  
In recent years, she had felt Odin's strength waining. Soon, the old fool would die, and she would be free.  
She did not know how to feel regarding this. On one hand, she wished to be free from her prison. On the other hand, she desired to kill Odin herself, avenging her, her son, and all the wrong that he had done. However, she could not do this, as the only way for her to be freed was for him to die first. Alas, she would have to settle with destroying all he held dear.  
Asgard would fall. That much was certain. Yes, warriors were quite possibly the greatest in the Nine Realms, and it would be a shame for them to be destroyed. However, she still wanted nothing more than to watch the realm burn after how they betrayed her and after how they mistreated her son.  
Thor was a foolish, arrogant child. Taking him down would hardly be an issue. She may even be merciful. After all, while he had at some points contributed to her son's torment, at other times he had also shown kindness to him and had defended him. For this, she may be quick in illiminating her half-brother.  
She may spare Frigga. While at first she had absolutely despised the woman for the simple fact that her son would grow up to call the vanir mother, throughout the centuries she had come to be grateful for her kindness. She had at least acted like a parent to her son, and attempted to help him climb out of the shadow of Thor and Odin. It was thanks to her that her son had become one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Nine Realms.  
Hela smirked as she thought of this.  
Thanks to Frigga's teaching, her son had the strength to fight by her side. Once Hela was free, she would be able to unite with her son and together, the two of them would be an unstoppable force.  
Surely after the centuries of lies and betrayal, he would side with her.  
Together, the Goddess of Death and the God of Mischief would unite to exact vengeance upon all who had done them wrong.  
However, all of her plans shattered when Loki discovered the truth on his own.  
She was filled with an inordinate amount of rage as she watched how Odin handled the matter. Oh, how she wished she could take out that other eye, along with other various body parts.  
However, what was most heart-wrenching, was when Loki concocted a scheme which had the intent of trying to please the old fool. He had done so much, tried to end a war which had been started by Thor, had even killed his own biological father... All to gain some form of approval.  
Yet, it was all for nought.  
Even when the man was hanging over a dark void, begging for acceptance, he was denied.  
Though his actions may not have been proper, the intentions still should have earned him some merit.  
But no, not from Odin.  
Her anger had only grown as she watched Loki being tortured, broken, until his mind was invaded by the infinity stone of mind and he was made to go collect another infinity stone for that accursed titan.  
Oh, she knew of Thanos.  
Whilst not watching Loki through her mirror, she explored the universe, attempting to entertain herself until the day of her freedom would come. Thanos had been something that court her eye.  
The last of his race, and fairly powerful. At first, she thought that he would make a good ally. However, she quickly discovered the titan's madness.  
He believed that the way for balance to be achieved was for half of the universe's population to be killed. And so he went from planet to planet, killing half the population at random.  
Hela snorted.  
Who was he to decide what was needed for balance?  
What was worse, he did it in her name.  
Apparently, by some miracle, he had heard legend of the powerful Lady of Death, and was infatuated with her. And so he desired to prove his worth by "Bringing balance and peace", to the universe.  
Hela was not impressed.  
She may have left a trail of blood through the Nine Realms, but her kills had always had a purpose. They had always been for the glory of Asgard.  
But Thanos? He only killed for his misconceived fantasies that the universe would be grateful for him slaughtering half of them.  
This was senseless killing. This disgusted Hela and irritated her to no end.  
She may have thought of illiminating Thanos before, simply because he was an unwanted annoyance. However, after what he did to Loki, she wanted to kill him just as much as she did Odin. Maybe, once she was free, she would fulfill her desires to slaughter both men with her exacution of the titan. Perhaps she would even invite Loki to join her. After all that he had suffered, her son would most definitely want to exact his revenge against the mad titan.  
It were these thoughts which led her through Loki's attack on Midgard, and his defeat via Thor and his new friends, a band of Midgardians whom called themselves the Avengers.  
However, it was not quite enough to withhold her rage during Loki's farce of a trial.  
Honestly, Odin just wanted to throw Loki away and forget he existed. Surely, if he did even the slightest amount of research, he would find that the young man had been under the influence of mind-control. The healers could find the damage done to his mind. Not to mention, his eyes on the midgardian security images were not the same colour as they usually were.  
But Odin did not care. His plan to rule Jottenheim through his half Frost-Giant grandson had failed, and now he had no use for the boy and had no sympathy for the situation. He did not even care that it was because of him that Loki was as he was.  
But most of all, was what Odin had said to him.  
"Your birthright, was to die! As a child, cast out onto a friendzen rock. If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me."  
Oh, how she wanted to rip out his tongue and shove it down his throat. But alas, she was stuck in her prison until the old fool died.  
However, she was soon feeling a shift. Something was different in the Nine realms.  
Of course.  
She thought.  
The convergence.  
The time when the barriers between the Nine Realms would be at their weakest. Perhaps, if she concentrated enough energy, she could break out of her prison earlier than Odin had planned.  
She smirked.  
Odin and the rest of Asgard were to busy with the dark elves. The old fool wouldn't notice if she was slowly ripping a whole out of her prison.  
As she worked on breaking a whole in her prison, she continued to watch the happenings of Asgard.  
She was delighted when the dark Elves attacked the palace of Asgard. Odin would be so busy dealing with the aftermath, he wouldn't notice her escape.  
The distraction was further increased by the death of Frigga.  
In the end, Hela was ambivalent about her step-mother's death.  
On one hand, Odin was distracted by his grief, which gave Hela the perfect opportunity to work on her early escape. However, Hela knew how much this would affect Loki.  
She was saddened to see her Son greave, and not even be invited to Frigga's funeral.  
Hela tried to help as much as she could by singing him the song she had always whispered to him on the wind.

Hush child,  
The shadows will rise from the deep, and,  
Carry you down into sleep, child,  
The shadows will rise from the deep, and,  
Carry you down into sleep...

And still, she worked. Driven by her anger and her thirst for revenge, she used the weakened barriers between the realms to fight her way out of her prison. Even after the convergence was finished, the barriers were still weak enough for her to rip a way out.  
She lost track of time as she thought through the enchantments placed upon her prison by Odin. Nothing would stop her. Nothing and no one. Odin, Thanos, and all of Asgard would feel the wrath of the Goddess of Death.  
And finally, she broke through.  
Finally, she was free.  
Finally, she could unite with her son.  
And finally, they would have their revenge.


	2. Sentenced to Midgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is sentenced to Midgard. The avengers did not give Thor aproval to dump his mentally unstable brother on them. Also, there is a distulbance.

Chapter 2:

"No."  
"But..."  
"No."  
"Stark, please..."  
"No!"  
Loki sneered. His brother and the one who the mortals called Ironman were currently having a heated argument, as they had been doing for the past twenty minutes or so. At first it was amusing, but now it was just annoying. They were just repeating the same things over and over again.  
He looked around the room, where the rest of the individuals known as The Avengers stood, with varying looks of distrust on their faces, directed straight at him.  
"Why not?" Thor asked desperately.  
"He threw me out a window!" Stark yelled. "And opened a hole in the sky which led to half of New York getting destroyed by aliens!"  
"And he used that sceptre thing to mess with several people's minds, including me." Agent Barton added. "And he killed Phil Coulson, and called Nat a... You know..."  
Thor was now staring at Stark with wide, desperate eyes.  
"He did not mean to do it, he was under as much control as Barton..."  
"And how do you know this?" Stark demanded.  
Thor then looked a bit sheepish.  
"Well, umm... The healers saw the damage done to his mind when they were healing him after we had finished dealing with the convergence."  
Stark raised an eyebrow.  
"I'm sorry, but he has been in Asgard for what, a year? And you are only realising that he was under mind-control now?"  
Thor shifted uncomfortably.  
"Yes, well... You must understand, Father was quite upset from the events..."  
Loki had to hold back his sneer. Oh yes, he bet the All Father was upset. After all, his little puppet had finally cut the strings.  
"So wait, it took him a year to check Loki's physical and mental state because he was upset?" Asked the Captain.  
He looked at Loki with something that may have been a combination of sympathy and pity. Loki had to resist the urge to use his now limited magic against the Captain. He did not need his pity.  
Loki looked down at the band around his wrist. It was beginning to become quite uncomfortable, but there was little he could do.  
After the events of the convergence, Thor had returned to Asgard, forcing him to come along. Odin had been inclined to throw him straight back in his cell, even after Thor had taken him to the healers and they had finally discovered what he had gone through.   
Almost a year of torture, physically, mentally, and psychologically.  
Thor had begged the old fool to give him a chance for redemption. After all, Loki had just helped keep the realms from falling into darkness.  
In the end, it was Thor arguing that it was what their mother would have wanted which persuaded Odin to allow Thor to take Loki down to Midgard to serve as a member of the band of misfits known as the Avengers for the foreseeable future. However, he had also greatly constricted his magic. Whereas before he had been practically the most powerful sorcerer in the Nine Realms, now he only had enough power to be of some use to the midgardians, and enough to "Keep him out of mischief".  
Loki rolled his eyes. Honestly, while he would admit that Thor had somewhat matured, he was still a naive fool.  
For example, he hadn't even asked the Avengers if they were even fine with Loki joining them. He just expected them to be alright with the one who had attacked their realm unprecedented. Thor had literally arrived on the roof of Stark's building via the bifrost, Loki standing beside him, and declared that the war criminal was to serve his sentence assisting the team.   
Stark had been the first to react, which consequently led to the argument.  
Loki was now becoming annoyed from the arguing. Finally, he stepped forward and cleared his throat.  
"If I may," He began.  
Instantly, all eyes turned to him. Loki sucked in a deep breath.  
"The past year has given me time to, think over my actions. And while I was under the control of the sceptre, I must apologise..."  
"For?" Stark interrupted.  
Loki sighed.  
"For attack your realm. Yes, I was angry at my brother and the All Father, but that was no excuse. Yes my emotions were amplified by the sceptre, but I should not have taken my frustration out on you."  
Thor was smiling at him. Looking around the room, he saw that everyone else were staring at him in suspicion. He continued regardless, turning to the only female in the room.  
"I also apologise for calling agent Romanov such an uncouth name. It was crude and despicable of me, and I feel disgusted at my own silver tongue for disrespecting such a formidable woman in such a way."  
Romanov raised an eyebrow at him, but remained silent.  
Looking around the room, he saw Thor nodding at him, as if in approval. The Captain and Dr Banner were staring at him with sympathetic looks in their eyes. The only ones still glaring at him with distrust were Stark and Barton.  
"And?" Stark pressed.  
Loki sighed.  
"And I apologise for manipulating the minds of Barton, Selvig, and the various other agents."  
"And?"  
"And for killing Coulson."  
"And?"  
Loki gritted his teeth.  
"And for tossing you out of a window."  
Stark grinned in triumph. He then looked around the room.  
"What do you think, should we give Reindeer 'games a chance?"  
The heroes looked amongst each other. Finally, the Captain spoke up.  
"Well, if he didn't have complete control over his actions, it would be the right thing to do."  
Banner nodded hesitantly.  
"I mean, if he feels sorry. And hey, if he causes trouble we could call on the other guy."  
Loki had to suppress a shudder at the memory of the beast known as the Hulk. Being tossed around like a ragdoll and smashed into the floor had truly been a painful experience.  
Barton scowled, then turned to Romanov. The two seemed to communicate non-verbally, before Barton sighed and turned back to him.  
"Fine." The archer said. "But any funny business, and it will be another explosive arrow right here."  
He gestured at the point between his eyebrows.  
"Noted." Loki muttered.  
"So," Stark continued. "Did you think about where he could be sleeping, or did you just go straight from Asgardian hospital to here without a plan?"  
Thor cleared his throat.  
"Perhaps he could sleep in the unoccupied room on my floor."  
"Fine." Stark replied.  
Loki had to hold back a groan. Thor was notorious for his loud snoring. He had to hope he had enough power to sound proof his room.  
Thor smiled and grabbed Loki by the shoulder.  
"Wonderful!" He said, turning to the elevators. "I shall escort him there now."  
Thor led him into the lifts and proceeded to press a button. They ascended from the floor that they had previously been on, which Loki suspected was some sort of common living floor, to the floor that Thor called home when he was on Midgard. Thor explained to him that each member of the team had their own floor, except for the two of them now, as Thor was now sharing his floor with him. Loki listened carefully to the explanation of who lived on which floor, so that he did not accidentally enter onto a hostile floor, not that he believed anyone was going to leave him out of their sights for too long.  
Once they entered onto Thor's floor, Loki was not surprised to see that the area was a mess. Thor honestly did not know how to clean up after himself.  
Though they had both been princes, with many servants who could do the work for them, Loki had at least learnt how to keep his living quarters somewhat organised with as minimal mess as possible. Thor, on the other hand, seemed to spread his belongings everywhere and course his quarters to appear as if a hurricane had just hit it.  
Thor led Loki through the disorganised floor to a room and opened the door. Loki looked inside to see that at least this room was tidy, maybe because Thor had had no use for it.  
"I hope this is to your liking." Thor began. "Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable."  
Thor smiled at him.  
"I shall leave you to, umm, settle in. If you are in need of something, Stark has a system whom he calls Jarvis, who you can ask for assistance, or even ask for me."  
Loki nodded. Thor went to leave, but then turned back to him.  
"Loki," He began. "Thank you for agreeing to this."  
And with that, he was gone.  
Loki turned to his new living quarters and entered.  
The room itself was bare, except for a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe that was currently empty. He supposed he would have to get some midgardian clothes, if he was to "fit in" with the realm that he was currently exiled to.  
He could see a door in one corner. Opening it, he saw a bathroom. Good, at least he would not have to share with Thor. Sometimes, that man stank worse than an army of bilgesnipe.  
He turned to the bed and sat down. He had not had the opportunity to test his new magical limits. He crossed his legs and meditated, focussing inwards towards his magic as he had had to do when he was first being taught by his mother.  
He clenched his fists as he thought of her.  
Though it had been approximately a week, the emotions were still as raw as they had been when he had first heard the news. Guilt, sadness, regret, and various other emotions flowed through him.  
Though he had been angry at Odin and Thor, he could never bring himself to hate the woman who had cared for him his whole life. Even though she too, had kept the truth from him, he knew that she had not wanted to, and was forced to lie by the All Father.  
Loki clenched his fists even tighter.  
She had always been the one to love him. She had been the only one to not show favouritism to Thor. She had been the one to teach him magic, in an attempt to make him feel less of a disappointment.  
She had always loved him, though he was not her flesh and blood.  
And how had Loki repaid her? By taking his frustration at Thor and Odin out on her. The words of their last conversation still echoed in his head.  
"Then am I not your mother?"  
"You're not."  
"Always so perceptive, about everyone but yourself..."  
Loki could feel his hands shaking. He new that if he had been at full strength, then the entire floor would have most likely been destroyed.  
After all she had done for him, even after all of his mistakes, and this was how he repaid her. Words of cruelty were to be the last he ever spoke to her.  
Loki could feel his heart racing, his magic swirling, even in it's constricted state.  
He did as he had always done, whenever he felt upset and when Frigga was not their to comfort him. He began to hum the tune that he had always heard on the wind.  
He never new where it came from, nor what the song said. He could only remember the tune. It was strange. For his entire life, this song had been a constant comfort for when even Frigga could not help.  
It made him feel calm and at peace.  
He could feel his breathing beginning to steady. As he calmed, he began to muse more over the song.  
Since the violation of his mind, something had been knocked inside of him. Now, he was beginning to hear snatches of what he could only guess were the lyrics to the song. Though he was yet to have a comprehensive song.   
Instinctively, he began to sing softly under his breath the only part that he had managed to piece together.

Hush child, the shadows will rise from the deep, and,  
Carry you down into sleep, child,  
The shadows will rise from the deep, and,  
Carry you down into sleep...  
Loki was jerked out of his thoughts with the clearing of a throat.  
He looked up to see Agent Romanov standing in the doorway.  
"Yes, did you need something?" He asked.  
She raised an eyebrow.  
"Were you crying?"  
Loki frowned, then felt his face to find that indeed, he had been crying.  
"It is known of your concern." He retorted.  
The assassin continued to stare at him.  
"What were you singing?"  
"Nothing." Loki replied. "What did you want?"  
"I just came to check on you." She replied.  
"I am fine." Loki replied.  
The two stared at each other in silence for a long time. Finally, Romanov spoke.  
"Thor told me about your mother..."  
Loki sneered.  
"As if you care."  
She began to walk into the room.  
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She continued. "Thor told us you were close to her..."  
Loki continued to sneer.  
"What would you know of it? From what I have heard, you never knew your mother."  
She showed no visible reaction. Her voice was calm as she spoke.  
"He also told us you were adopted."  
Loki rolled his eyes. Of course he did. That man did not know how to keep his mouth shut sometimes.  
"Does this conversation have a point?" He asked.  
The Black Widow studied him.  
"I can see you are still grieving." She said. "I can tell your emotions are still in a mess. I just wanted to ask... How much did you get from agent Barton?"  
"Everything." Loki replied.  
"Everything?"  
Loki realised what she was referring to.  
"Yes, he told me of your upbringing."  
He had been disgusted to learn of the assassin early years. Though he had killed many, he drew bounders at harming children.  
The woman in question merely rose an eyebrow.  
"From what Thor has told us, you also kind of had a lonely childhood..."  
"What did he tell you?" Loki asked.  
"Only that you never seemed to fit in with the other Asgardians and were always sitting by yourself with your magic books." She replied.  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"I am surprised he noticed."  
Her lips twitched in something resembling a small smile.  
"I guess we both had lonely childhoods."  
Loki thought over it for a moment. Then nodded in agreement.  
"I suppose s."  
She continued to stare at him.  
"Thor does care about you." She continued. "And something tells me you don't completely hate him."  
Loki shrugged.  
Over the past week, he had thought over how he felt concerning his brother. On one hand, Thor still claimed to love him, even after all of their fighting. On the other hand, Loki could not forget the centuries of living in his shadow, Thor always taking the spotlight and not even noticing Loki's despair.  
"I am ambivalent." He finally said.  
The assassin turned to leave, but then they heard the voice of the Captain from seemingly nowhere.  
"Attention all Avengers. Report to the quinjet As Soon as possible."  
The red-head turned to him.  
"Thank you," She began. "For cooperating."  
She then left, presumably to get into her uniform.  
Loki himself began to channel his magic. It was now harder to summon his armour, but still doable, even if it took longer than usual.  
By the time he was fully dressed for battle, he could hear Thor thundering down the hall to his door. His brother threw open the door.  
"Come brother!" Thor yelled.  
The blond turned, his red cape flapping in the movement. Loki followed at a more sedate pace. He was curious to see what was going on.

They met the rest of the Avengers on the roof, where what Loki remembered was called a Quinjet was waiting on a landing pad.  
The Captain stood with the rest of the team around him. Loki and Thor joined the circle.  
"Captain, what is going on?" Thor asked in his booming voice.  
"Just got a call from Fury." The Captain began. "There are reports of a strange energy coming from a few miles away."  
He glanced at Loki.  
"He suspects that it's magical."  
Loki held up his hands.  
"I did not do it."  
Half of the people assembled looked at each other suspiciously, but did not comment.  
"Come on," The Captain continued. "We need to go."  
And so the seven of them piled into the jet, Romanov in the pilot seat.  
Loki was stuck between the Captain and Thor. Whoever thought putting the two bulkiest people on the jet together was an honest fool, but he supposed it could be worse. At least he could be sure that Thor would not try to attack him in his seat. The Captain seemed to be the most accepting amongst the Midgardians. The man even attempted to start up a conversation with him.  
Loki could tell the man was genuine, and had a kind heart. He did not know if he appreciated this or not.  
It did not take them long to reach their destination. Romanov landed the jet in a forested area, and they prepared themselves. All were in uniform excluding Banner, who would thankfully only call upon the Hulk if the situation called for x.  
Once they got off the jet, Loki could instantly feel the disturbance. He did not know why, but for some reason it felt as if something was calling to him.  
Almost instinctively, he began to walk towards the disturbance, the six Avengers following him.  
"We're sure he had nothing to do with this?" He could hear stark muttering.  
"Nay, Father has greatly restricted his magic." He could hear Thor reply, for once quite. "Now hush, we mustn't disturb him."  
"Why?" Barton asked.  
"I have seen him like this before." Thor replied. "He is in somewhat of a magical trance. He shall lead us to the disturbance and hopefully he may have some idea as to what it is."  
Loki ignored the whispers and followed his instincts.  
Finally, they reached a clearing. Even without sensing the magic, he could tell something was wrong. Leafs, branches, and clumps of dirt were flying around the area in an uncontrollable swirling wind.  
"What the hell?" He could hear stark yell. "I didn't know it was tornado season!"  
Loki ignored him and focused.  
"Brother, can you tell..." Thor began, but Loki raised his hand.  
"It feels, wild... Unstable... A rip in the fabric of the Nine Realms... As if something, or someone, is breaking through..."  
"What?" Thor asked in shock. "But I thought the convergence was over."  
"But the Realms are still unstable." Loki continued.  
"Can you tell which Realm whatever or whoever it is is breaking through from?" The Captain asked.  
Loki concentrated for a long time.  
"I, do not know." He replied. "The energy that is being used to break through feels Asgardian, but... Something else..."  
"Shit!" He could hear Barton yell.  
"Language."  
Loki was temporarily broken out of his concentration. He stared at the Captain.  
"Did you just say "language"?" He asked.  
The Captain blushed.  
"Force of habit." He muttered.  
"Well, now that we've gotten over Cap acting like a total Mom," Stark interrupted. "Look at that."  
They turned to where Barton and Stark were looking. A dark portal had appeared in the middle of the clearing. The Avengers held their weapons at the ready.  
After about a minute or so, something came out of the portal. A dark figure crouched, seemingly tired from the strain of opening the portal. Loki began to step forward, but stopped as the figure stood up.  
Before them stood a woman, clad in black and green, with long dark hair and fair skin. Loki's eyes met hers, and he felt a shiver go down his spine.  
There was just something about this woman that seemed familiar.  
The woman grinned in an all too familiar way.  
"Finally." She spoke.  
Loki did not know why, but that voice just sounded so familiar. But where could he have heard it?  
And why did it make him feel so... Calm?


	3. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela hasn't even been free for a day, and she's already shaking things up.

Chapter 3:

Hela looked around the area she had found herself in. It would appear she had landed in a clearing.  
"Finally." She sighed.  
She could sense that there were others present, so she looked up. And much to her surprise, she came face to face with the person she was most hoping to see. Her son.  
She could not help but smirk as their identical green eyes met. She then examined him properly. They looked quite similar, but she could still see glimpses of Laufey in him.  
She had to suppress a snarl when she saw his magic had been bound. Odin's doing no doubt.  
She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of movement. She looked up to see that there were others with Loki. After a quick examination she recognised the group known as the Avengers, whom had defeated Loki during the assault upon Midgard.  
So that was where she was. The realm of the mortals. Well, it could have been worse.  
Her eyes darted to the large figure who was approaching her. Golden blond, in shining armour and holding... Mjolnir. Oh, that accursed hammer. Hela did not know what disgusted her more, the sight of the weapon, or the sight of it in Thor's hand.  
"Whomever you are, and wherever you came from," The blond boomed. "This realm is under my protection, hence..."  
"Oh, really?" Hela asked. "And who are you to claim you are powerful enough to protect this realm?"  
Hela already knew who he was, of course, but she just wanted to see his reaction. And as she expected, Thor took obvious offense to her statement.  
"I am Thor, son of Odin..."  
"Really?" Hela replied. "You don't look like him."  
She was enjoying this, playing around with her little brother. It was amusing to see his reactions. Though the rest of the mortals stood behind him silently, they made no attempt to intervene, so Hela had no problems with focusing her attention on the thunderer.  
"You know of my Father?" Thor asked.  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh yes," She replied. "I know him all too well."  
"Then you are aware that he is the King of Asgard?" Thor boomed.  
Hela scoffed.  
"And let me guess what you are going to say next, "Protector of the Nine Realms"? Let me tell you something about your Father little boy. He is nothing more than a king of fools, of arrogance, of weakness and betrayal."  
She could tell that she had angered him.  
"You dare..." He growled.  
"Oh, I dare." Hela retorted. "I only speak the truth. Do you even know of the concept, considering that the house of Odin is full of liars and traitors?"  
Hela was not surprised when Thor threw Mjolnir, aiming straight at her head. However, she could not say the same for Thor when she caught the hammer in mid-air.  
She heard the Avengers swearing in surprise. Thor himself was staring in shock.  
"That... That is not possible." He breathed out.  
Hela smirked.  
"Darling, you have no idea what is possible."  
She examined the hammer. She remembered her father giving this to her, when she was little more than a child. In the eyes of a Midgardian she would have only looked approximately ten years of age. He had told her that it was to help her learn to control her powers. However, it did not take long for the true purpose of this weapon to come to light. For once she had mastered it, Odin had begun using her as his secret weapon.  
This hammer was what marked the end of her childhood and whatever innocence she had ever had. So, she did not hesitate in channeling her energy into it. She smiled in glee as the hammer shattered into millions of fragments.  
She heard several exclamations of shock, horror and fear, and she revelled in it. For so long, she had desired to punish Thor for taking her place and for overshadowing her son, robbing him of his birthright.  
The pathetic child had fallen to his knees in despair. How weak he truly was.  
Both she and Loki had suffered far worse. Thor had never known what it was to go without a parent's love. He had never known what it was like to be forced to fight from the age when most would be considered a child. He had never known what it was like to stand in the shadows, never feeling good enough. He had never cried himself to sleep.  
She contemplated killing him then and there, and deliver his head to Odin to announce her return. However, she was broken out of her thoughts when she sensed something or someone coming up from behind her.  
She turned just in time to avoid being stabbed in the back. Instead, the blade of a dagger slipped into her shoulder. She hardly felt the pain. As her power returned, she knew that she could heal easily.  
She looked up from the dagger to see Loki, still holding the dagger and a look of surprise on his face. Obviously, when she had been distracted by Thor, he had snuck behind her and tried to stab her in the back.  
She smirked and removed the dagger from her shoulder.  
"You should be more careful with your toys Mischief Son."  
His eyes widened. It would appear that he was now even more shocked. Obviously, something of her lullaby had stuck in his mind.  
She turned to where Thor was still morning his hammer. The Avengers appeared to still be in shock, but were quickly recovering. She smirked.  
"Well, I would love to stay and chat, but alas, I have more important things to do than play with children and mortals."  
And with that, she opened a portal and left the realm.

For a long time, the Avengers, including Loki, just stood there in shocked silence. Finally, the silence was broken.  
"Well, oh shit." Ironman said. "Did that just happen?"  
"I think it did." Bruce replied.  
"What did just happen?" Hawkeye asked shakily. "Did that lady seriously just..."  
"Break Thor's hammer and disappear in a magical portal?" Ironman continued. "Yeah."  
Loki was staring at his dagger. It was still covered in the strange woman's blood.  
Dr Banner approached him wearily.  
"Errr, Loki?"  
"Hmm." Loki replied absently, his gaze not drifting from the dagger.  
"Can I just, errr, take some of the blood from that dagger?" The mortal asked. "It's just, Fury likes to keep a record of the DNA of potential threats, and he would want me to examine it. We even have a sample of your blood on record."  
"Fine." Loki replied, handing over the dagger.  
Dr Banner took it after putting on some disposable plastic gloves, and proceeded to scrape some of the blood into a small medical bag.  
"Thanks." He said, hesitantly handing the blade back to Loki.  
He then turned to Thor.  
"Hey, can I have a sample of your blood Thor? I would just like to do some cross examination of your genetics, to see if that lady was Asgardian."  
Thor, still in shock, merely presented Banner with his wrist. Banner took a syringe from his medical bag and took a small sample of blood.  
"I doubt that will help in determining the woman's species." Loki interjected suddenly. "He is part Vanir through our Mother."  
Banner shrugged.  
"It would still be interesting, examining the genetics of a different species."  
After a few more silent minutes, the Avengers began to leave for the Quin-jet, practically dragging Thor along. The blond was still staring at his hands in shock. Loki did not seem to be doing much better, muttering under his breath words that the avengers could not hear.  
The journey back to the tower was quiet. They were all still in shock. A mysterious woman had just appeared out of nowhere and had completely destroyed Thor's magical hammer.  
"Fury's going to be pissed." Clint had said as they landed.  
Natasha simply shrugged.  
"All we can do now is try to find out where she has gone. Thor, do you have any ideas?"  
The assassin turned to the still shocked Thor.  
"Thor? Thor." Steve tried shaking him out of his state.  
"Hey, point-break, can you hear me?" Tony said, snapping his fingers in front of the Asgardian's face.  
Suddenly, the blond jerked out of his shock. He quickly climbed out of the quin-jet and stood on the roof.  
"Hey, what are you doing?" Tony asked.  
"I must see my Father about this." Thor replied.  
Before anyone could stop him, he had raised his fist to the sky.  
"Heimdall, open the Bifrost."  
And with that, he disappeared in rainbow light.  
The five remaining avengers looked at each other, then turned to Loki.  
"Your not going to disappear in a flash of rainbow, are you?" Tony asked.  
Loki scoffed.  
"I couldn't, even if I wanted to. Remember, I have been banished to this realm for the foreseeable future."  
He then left the jet and began to walk to the door leading back into the tower.  
"I am going to my room." He said before disappearing.

Loki lost track of time as he sat on his bed, staring at his hands. His mind was turning with thoughts and questions.  
Who was that woman? How was she so powerful? Why did she seem so familiar. And how did she know of that name?  
Mischief Son.  
He remembered it from the fragments of the strange song that he could remember. No one knew of the song's existence. So how did this woman know of that name?  
He was broken out of his thoughts by a knocking on the door.  
"Who is it?" He asked, slightly irritated.  
"Loki, it's me." Came the voice of the Captain. "Can I come in?"  
Loki got up from the bed and walked to open the door.  
The Captain stood there, several large shopping bags in his arms.  
"Hey, I just came to check on you." He said.  
"I am fine." Loki replied. "Just thinking."  
The Captain frowned.  
"Is that what you've been doing all this time?"  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Is there a problem?"  
The Captain shook his head.  
"No, no. It's just... You've been sitting in here for over an hour."  
"Oh." Loki replied. "Well, did you want anything, or did you come here to merely check on my well-being?"  
The Captain smiled nervously.  
"Well, I actually wanted to give you these." He held out the large bags.  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"And what are these exactly?"  
"Clothes." The Captain replied. "I just thought that you might want something that's not Asgardian to ware. Natasha helped me pick them out, because she's apparently good at telling what people might like."  
Loki stepped back and gestured for the man to enter. The supersoldier laid each bag on the bed carefully. He then looked around the room.  
"Wow, it's clean in here."  
Loki sneered.  
"That would be because Thor has not had need of this room, and so therefore non of his belongings have spread to this area."  
"Oh." The Captain replied. "You know, Thor's told us a lot about you."  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
"Yes, I have heard."  
The Captain continued.  
"He told us that you always had trouble fitting in because everyone in Asgard thought you were weak..."  
"Yes, does this have a point?" Loki interrupted.  
The Captain held his hands up.  
"I just wanted to say, I get it."  
"Oh, do you?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yeah." The Captain replied. "Before I became Captain America, I was really weak. Had a lot of medical conditions, always getting myself hurt. It's a miracle I survived at all."  
The Captain then smiled.  
"I wouldn't have survived, if it wasn't for my friend Bucky. He always had my back, from the streets of Brooklyn to the front lines."  
His face then became saddened.  
"He... He died during the war. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him."  
The man sucked in a breath.  
"He would always help me out when I got into fights. No matter what, he was always there. He was good, and brave, and loyal, even when the world was against us."  
Loki could feel his heart tense. This Bucky sounded very similar to someone he himself once knew.  
"He sounds like someone I once knew" He said quietly. "An old friend."  
The Captain's head jerked up.  
"Really?"  
Loki smiled softly.  
"Yes, long ago. She was the only one besides my Mother who never mocked me. Even when the other Asgardians made fun of her for standing by me, her loyalty and kindness were unyielding."  
"Really?" The Captain asked. "What happened to her?"  
Loki's expression darkened.  
"Rumours began to spread about the two of us, and Odin banished her. And I have never seen nor heard from her."  
"Oh." The Captain replied simply. "I'm sorry."  
He moved closer to Loki.  
"What was her name, if you don't mind me asking?"  
"Sigyn." Loki replied, a small smile on his face.  
Why was he telling this mortal anything, let alone about Sigyn? Maybe his emotions were still disorganised from what had previously occurred with that Woman. Maybe his thoughts were so disorganised from what the woman had called him, that some thoughts were slipping through the cracks. Or maybe, after all he had gone through, he was subconsciously seeking a friend.  
But he couldn't trust the Captain. He couldn't trust anyone. He had learnt this a long time ago.  
"You can go now." He said. "Thank you for the clothes Captain."  
"Errr, okay." The Captain said hesitantly. "But please, just call me Steve."  
Loki shrugged in reply.  
The Captain... Steve, began to walk out of the room. However, before he left the door, he turned back to Loki.  
"Oh, and Loki," He began. "If you need someone to talk to, my door's always open."  
And with that, he was gone. Loki decided he might as well put the clothes away.  
His new wardrobe consisted of several casual dark trousers and shirts in varying shades of green and blue. There were also some more formal suits. In all, he thought that the Cap... Steve, and Agent Romanov had done well.

The portal released Hela into a courtyard in the palace of Asgard. She grinned. Perfect.  
Without hesitation, she carefully and stealthily walked through the familiar halls to Odin's trophy room, where she hoped to find something useful.  
She made short work of the guards and strode confidently into the trophy room.  
She looked around at Odin's artifacts. At first, she thought she saw the Infinity Gauntlet. That could be useful in luring Thanos out of hiding, for not even her Vanir mirror could see where he was. However, she quickly discovered it to be a fake. In fact, most of the artifacts in this room were fake. She could not help but find this ironic, considering the web of lies the man had woven.  
In the corner of her eye she saw the tesseract. She wished to grab it, but thought that Odin may have put some precautions on it this time.  
She then reached the Casket of Ancient Winters. While it was weak compared to her own power, she thought that it may be useful for convincing the Frost-Giants in joining her once again. So, she grabbed it and placed it into a pocket dimension until she had a proper base of operations to store it.  
Finally, she reached something that actually peaked her interest.  
"The eternal flame." She muttered.  
She then grabbed some of the fire, feeling that she may need it.  
Her attention was then drawn to a circle in the floor. She knew it led to an old tomb. The final resting place for what was once her army. She cared not for any of the warriors, save for one.  
She broke the seal and jumped down into the tomb. By they light of her fire, she could see the skeletons of warriors long dead. However, they were not what drew her attention.  
No, it was the giant wolf skeleton, encased in chains which drew her attention. In horror, she stared at what was once her most loyal companion.  
"Fenris, my darling, what have they done to you?" She gasped.  
Hela very rarely cried. Tears had not left her eyes since she was a child. However, the sight before her almost brought her to such a state.  
She remembered when she was a small child, the Asgardian equivalent of what the Midgardians would call five. She had always had trouble making friends. She was lonely and wandering the woods, when she heard a sudden violent howl.  
She had ran, only to see a dying she-wolf, with a litter of already dead cubs. It would appear that the storm that had come the night before had greatly harmed the animals.  
As Hela approached them, she could see that there was no helping the she-wolf. She was about to turn and leave the wolf family to their fates, when she heard a sudden whimper.  
She turned back to see a small wolf-cub crawling out from under the debris of the den, limping but still alive. Hela had walked over and scooped the cub up in her arms. She had taken him back to the palace and had taken care of him herself. Her father had disapproved of such a waste of her precious time, but she did not care.  
Soon, the wolf that she had named Fenris had completely healed. Not only that, but he was becoming larger. Soon, he was of a monstrous size, and would defend Hela against any attacker. Once Hela began to fight alongside Odin, he would be there by her side, teeth bared and hackles raised. A true companion to the bitter end.  
It broke her heart to see the closest thing she had ever known to a friend in such a state, even in death. So she did not hesitate in her next actions.  
She threw her handful of fire towards the gigantic wolf.  
"With the eternal flame, you are reborn." She intoned.  
Fenris began to glow with a green light. After a few seconds, muscle, skin and fur manifested upon the wolf. Finally, Fenris was alive once more, his eyes glowing with an eerie green light. He let loose a howl, and the entire chamber shook.  
Hela grinned.  
"Come Fenris, let us leave this place and begin our revenge."

Hela walked through the halls again, Fenris following her closely. She knew that if Odin hadn't sensed her escape before, he would know of her being free by now. She did not mind, she wanted him to know. She wanted him to know that she would be the one to kill him, and that she could do so any second.  
They finally reached the throne-room, and Hela sneered at the sight.  
Once, there had been murals depicting hers and Odin's mighty conquest. And now...  
Garden parties? Peace treaties? It was a disgust to see him trying to cover up her existence in such a manner, and disrespectful to the efforts of both her and the legends of Asgard.  
She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard someone approaching. Through a door at the other end of the room came the man who had caused her and her son so much pain, and had the nerve to act so superior.  
"You." Said Odin, his one remaining eye wide. "I sensed you escape, but how?"  
Hela grinned.  
"The convergence. Surely you recall that it weakened the borders between realms? Or were you to busy hiding behind your walls, grieving over the fact that your little puppet-king, my son, had broken his strings?"  
"I..." Odin spluttered. "I do not know of what you speak of."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh, don't you?" She asked rhetorically. "I know all of your little plans. I have watched for centuries as you abused and manipulated my son. As you did nothing while the people of Asgard taunted him for his magic, as he was cast into the shadows while your precious Thor took the spotlight. But of cause, you wished for him to be submissive to you, craving even the slightest amount of approval, so that one day he could take the throne of Jottenheim, and you could rule the Frost-Giants through him. To you, he was no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of him."  
"I highly doubt you would care." Odin spat. "There is no love in you, only violence. I had to seal you away to protect the universe from your bloodlust. You will not take the throne of Asgard, you monster."  
Hela's smirk widened.  
"I have not come to take your throne, only to exact my revenge."  
She looked her father straight in his eye, unflinching.  
"I am not a queen, or a monster. I'm the Goddess of Death. And I am who I am, because of you. Because you never showed me love. How can you learn what is never shown?"  
Odin did not reply. Hela looked around the room, at the murals of fake history.  
"I like what you have done with the place." She began. "These images are quite beautiful. To bad they are all fake, and they are only here to cover up your past."  
She then summoned two long and sharp spikes. A smirk appeared on her face.  
"You know what they say, the more you try to hide your past..."  
She threw the spikes at the murals. Once they hit, cracks began to appear in the images. Soon, they were collapsing to the floor to reveal the darker images beneath.  
"... The more it bites you in the ass."  
Odin just stared at the images of war, seemingly in shock. Hela smirked.  
"I will have my revenge." She began. "Beware Odin All-Father, for the time of Asgard is nearing it's end. I look forward to watching as everything you built falls around you, and your joy turns to ashes in your mouth."  
And with that, Hela summoned another portal and disappeared, Fenris following quickly behind her. Odin remained where he stood, frozen in shock.

As soon as Thor appeared in Heimdall's observatory, he headed straight for the rainbow bridge with only a small greeting to the gatekeeper.  
It took him longer than usual to reach the palace, as he could not fly there with Mjolnir as he would usually do. Many called greetings to him, but he passed them without a second glance. He did not have time for them. He needed to see his Father about the mysterious woman.  
Finally, he reached the palace. He quickly walked through the halls, heading towards the throne-room where he hoped his Father would be. And thankfully, he was.  
When Thor entered the throne-room, he could see his Father standing in the centre of the room.  
"Father." He called.  
His Father did not reply. He merely continued staring at something. Thor followed his gaze to see what was once a golden mural, was now a horrific image. In this image, was his Father, with the woman who was wilding... His hammer?  
"Father?" He repeated, reaching the older man.  
"Hmm, oh, Thor." His Father said absently, still staring at the images.  
"Father, I have come to inform you of something." He continued. "On midgard, a mysterious woman appeared through a portal..."  
"Yes, I am aware of her." His Father interrupted.  
"She has been here." Thor guessed.  
He looked around the room.  
"And it would appear she has been doing some redecorating."  
"Only revealing what I have tried to hide." His Father replied.  
"Father, who was she?" Thor asked.  
"Hela, Goddess of Death." His Father replied.  
Finally, the king of Asgard flicked his eye towards him.  
"Your sister."  
With these words, Thor was shock.  
His sister? He had a sister?  
"M My sister?" He stuttered.  
"Well, half-sister." His Father elaborated. "The two of you did not have the same mother."  
Thor was flabbergasted.  
A sister? He could not believe it. A sister? And she... And she had...  
"Father, she is powerful." Thor began. "She destroyed Mjolnir, and sensed Loki's attack, without any effort."  
"Yes, Loki." His Father said, frowning. "You must bring him back here at once."  
"Why?" Thor asked in surprise.  
"I must ensure he does not ally himself with Hela." His Father replied.  
"Loki would not." Thor retorted. "Though he may have his disagreements with you, he has no desire to..."  
"No," His Father interrupted. "You do not understand."  
"What is it that I do not understand?" He demanded.  
His Father gazed at him. Then, the old man sighed, his face turning grim.  
"There are parts of our history that you do not know, that I wished to remain hidden."  
He gestured to the images of war and destruction.  
"Long ago, I led Asgard through a great conquest of the Nine Realms. By my side was Hela, my most powerful warrior. She defeated entire armies single handedly."  
He then sighed.  
"One Realm however, was not so easily concurred. Vanaheim. We ended up negotiating for peace, which led to me wedding your mother."  
His father then looked down.  
"Hela did not like this. By then, she had become addicted to war and bloodshed. She could not handle peace. She only desired war. And so, she sort to usurp me. She sort allies throughout the Nine Realms to aid her. One Realm did. Jottenheim."  
Thor gasped.  
"Is this how the war with the Frost-Giants began?"  
His Father nodded.  
"By the end of it, I knew the only way to stop her was to seal her away. I confronted her just outside of a temple on Jottenheim. She was weaker, than I had originally anticipated, though she did put up a fierce fight. However, I was finally, after much effort, able to seal her away. It was only when I entered the temple, did I discover the reason for her weakened state."  
Thor's head was turning. He had a suspicion of where this was going.  
"Once I entered the temple, I heard the sounds of crying. Eventually, I found the source of it. A baby. Small, for a giants off-spring. Once I picked the child up in my arms, his skin turned from blue to pale, and his eyes from red to green."  
Thor's eyes were wide at this point. Surely his Father was not saying what he thought he was saying? It just could not be.  
But as he thought about it, it made far too much sense. He remembered what the woman, Hela, had looked like. Familiar green eyes, familiar raven-black hair, familiar fair skin. Even her smirk was familiar.  
"Father... Are you, are you saying...?"  
His Father nodded.  
"Yes, as well as being your sister, Hela is also Loki's mother."

Bruce Banner was sitting in the private lab of the Avenger's tower. He had been staring at several screens for a long time in confusion. He had been running tests on the blood samples he had gotten from the woman via Loki's dagger, as well as the sample from Thor. The results of which were surprising, especially when he threw the sample of Loki's blood they had already had into the mix.  
Suddenly, he heard someone entering the lab. He knew it was Tony, as no one else ever came into this part of the tower.  
"Hey big green."  
Bruce looked up to see the billionaire with a cup of coffee in his hand.  
"How's the tests going?" The man continued.  
Bruce frowned.  
"Well, I'm going to need you to look at this, just to make sure I'm not see things."  
Tony walked over, coffee still in hand.  
"What's up?"  
"Well," Bruce began. "I have been examining the blood sample I had gotten from Loki's dagger, and when I compared it to Thor's... Well, it seems like there's a genetic match."  
"Meaning?" Tony asked.  
"Meaning that they are biologically related." Bruce replied.  
Tony raised an eyebrow.  
"So, Point-break's got another psycho relative? Great, let's hope this one doesn't throw me out of a window and open a giant whole in the sky."  
"There's more." Bruce continued. "After I brought up Loki's blood sample, it shows that he is also related to the woman."  
"So point-break and Reindeer Games have a mutual relative?"  
Bruce shook his head.  
"Wait, there's more."  
He then sucked in a deep breath.  
"The results also show that Thor and Loki are biologically related."  
At this, Tony spat out his mouthful of coffee.  
"What?" He spluttered. "I thought Loki was adopted."  
"I thought that too." Bruce replied.  
"Well then, he and Thor shouldn't be biologically related."  
Bruce shook his head.  
"I know, and we can't even say it's a distant relation. Too much of their DNA is similar."  
Tony sighed.  
"Do you think we should tell them?"  
Bruce pursed his lips.  
"It would be the right thing to do."  
"Yeah but," Tony retorted. "Remember the last time Loki found out something about his heritage. According to Thor he tried to blow up an entire planet with that rainbow bridge thing."  
Bruce shook his head and got up from his chair.  
"That was only because he found out about it in a less than ideal way. Maybe if we were able to tell him in a nice calm environment..."  
"What, you think he'll be okay with it and everything will be all sunshine and rainbows?" Tony retorted as they began to leave the labs and head towards the lift.  
"I still think he has a right to know." Bruce retorted.  
Their argument continued as they went up the lift onto the common-floor.

Loki had entered the Common-floor and was now sitting on one of the couches, reading a book. He was waring one of the new outfits the Cap... Steve, had given him. He had to admit, this was comfortable. It was much looser and cooler than his Asgardian attire, and was easier to relax in.  
Steve was sitting on another of the couches, drawing something in his sketch-book. Romanov was cleaning one of her guns and Barton was fiddling with one of his arrows. Everyone excluding Thor, who was still in Asgard, and Banner and Stark were present. The four were content to sit in peace, which suited Loki just fine. He had always prefered the quiet of the library to the loud train-yards.  
The peace of the room was suddenly broken when the elevator opened, revealing Stark and Banner, who were having a loud argument.  
"We need to tell him..."  
"No, that's a very bad idea..."  
"He deserves to know..."  
Everyone in the room put down what they had been doing.  
"Hey, what's going on?" Steve asked, standing up.  
The two scientists looked at the Captain, then at Loki, then at each other.  
"Bruce has something to tell Loki." Stark finally said, pushing the other man forward.  
"What, why me?" Banner said in surprise.  
Loki looked at him expectantly. The man sighed and sat on the couch, a metre or two away from Loki.  
"Well, umm... Loki, there is something you should know." Banner began. "You see, as I was running tests with the blood sample of the woman I had gotten from your dagger, I compared it to Thor's and well... It would appear that they are biologically related."  
"Well, good for him." Loki replied calmly.  
"Well, there's more." Banner continued. "You see, I then compared the sample to the sample of your blood we had already, and well, it seems that you are also related to her."  
Loki blinked.  
"Well, that is interesting." He finally said.  
However, the scientist wasn't finished.  
"And then, I discovered that... Well... You and Thor are also biologically related."  
With this statement, the entire room fell silent.  
"What?" Barton finally said. "I thought that Loki was adopted."  
"I was." Loki replied. "We must be distantly related. I believe that Odin's mother was of the Frost-GIANTS, or at least partly so, so perhaps that is how..."  
But Banner shook his head.  
"No, the two of you share far to much DNA for you to be only distantly related."  
Loki frowned.  
But this is impossible."  
The room yet again fell into silence. Then, there was a sudden flash of light from out of the window. A minute or two later, the elevator doors opened to reveal Thor, his face displaying an expression of shock.  
"Thor, you're back." Stark said. "Good, guess what, you and the psycho lady are related..."  
"Yes, yes, I know." Thor replied.  
"Oh, you are?" Loki asked. "Then do you know how we could also share blood, when I am adopted?"  
Thor looked at him seriously.  
"Father has informed me of who the woman is." The thunderer began. "She is Hela, Goddess of Death and... And my sister."  
There were the sounds of loud gasps and shouts from the Avengers.  
"What is it with you and psycho siblings?" Stark asked incredulously.  
Loki shrugged.  
"Do not blame us if we did not have the best father-figure."  
"Yes, that is another thing," Thor continued, his gaze not leaving Loki. "He also informed me of something, alarming."  
The blond man sucked in a breath.  
"He informed me that, as well as being my sister, she is also Loki's Mother."  
Loki froze. He could hardly breath. His thoughts swelled in confusion.  
His mother? That woman, Thor's sister, was his mother? But... But wouldn't that mean that Odin was his... And Thor was... And then he was...  
He could feel his emotions turning like a chaotic storm. He could hardly form a cohesive thought.  
His mother? Thor's sister... His mother?  
Mischief Son...  
He thought he could hear people calling his name, but he could hardly reply.

The Avengers watched as Loki froze in his seat, his eyes wide. He was not the only one in shock.  
"Wait," Tony began. "So goth Galadriel is your sister, but is also Loki's mom?"  
Thor nodded.  
"Wouldn't that kind of make you his uncle?"  
Thor frowned.  
"Regardless of how we are related biologically, I still consider him my brother."  
Steve walked over to Loki.  
"Loki? Hey, Loki?"  
He turned to the others.  
"I think Thor broke him."  
Thor walked over to Loki.  
"Loki, brother?"   
He reached out a hand. Loki instantly flinched away from the touch. Suddenly, a wave of green energy burst from the dark-haired man, pushing all of the avengers far away from him. The man fell from the couch onto his knees on the floor. His magic swirled around him, his eyes glowing. The band that had been restricting his magic broke and ricocheted off of the wall.  
"Shit." Tony said, ducking from the flying strap of leather. "Somebody do something before he destroys my tower, again."  
Natasha then got up from where she had been crouching. She slowly and quietly walked towards Loki. She knelt in front of him.  
"Hey." She said gently, as if talking to a frightened animal. "Don't worry. The sun's getting real low."  
She held up her hand and slowly waved it in front of his face. After about a minute, Loki finally calmed down. The glowing of his magic faded and he slumped, unconscious, into Natasha's arms.  
She picked him up and stood.  
"I think he needs some rest after that."  
She walked towards the lifts, carrying Loki bridle-style. Before entering the lifts, she turned to Thor.  
"You really need to work on dropping information bombs like that."  
And with that, she left to put Loki to bed.  
She skillfully walked threw the mess of Thor's floor to Loki's room. She gently laid the man down in his bed and tucked him in. As she examined him lying there, she marveled at how different he looked. In his sleep, he looked peaceful, kinder, more vulnerable. It was hard, thinking of the man who now lay before her and the monster who had attacked her world as the same person. In his sleep, she could see the man that Thor talked about, who only wanted to not be alone.  
She turned to leave. As she walked out the door, she thought she heard Loki muttering.  
"Mother."  
Natasha shook her head and left the man to his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the sciency stuff is a little wrong in this chapter. I was never good at the subject, but I wanted to show the Avengers figuring things out instead of just relying on Thor getting information for the universes most unreliable sorce.


	4. A reunion of Death and Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for, Loki and Hela meet.

Chapter 4:

Loki was not quite sure where he was, or how he had ended up there in the first place. He tried to remember what he had been doing. He had been reading in the common-floor in the Avenger's tower, with the Cap... Steve, Barton and Romanov. Then Stark and Banner had come in, arguing about... Blood samples, from the woman, Thor and himself... And then Thor had come and... And...  
And had told him that the woman was... Was his sister and Loki's M...  
And then it was all a blur. He thinks he could feel his magic reacting to his emotions, but he couldn't quite remember.  
And then he had heard a voice. So calm, so soothing. It had broken through the chaotic whirlwind of his thoughts, like the sun breaks through a storm. It had brought peace to his mind.  
And then... Nothing.  
He had slipped into unconsciousness, unaware of the world around him. He floated in darkness for what seemed like a long time, before light flooded him.  
Loki opened his eyes, and was surprised to see that he was sitting on a stone bench in his Mother's garden.  
She had always taken him to her garden to teach him magic, or to just talk over a cup of tea with him. Many of his fondest childhood memories were of this garden, and his Mother...  
But what was she now? After what he had learnt from Thor about the woman... But surely it couldn't be true. Loki still could not believe it was true. He could not, he would not...  
He looked around the garden to distract his mind.  
There were the same trees and plants, specially imported from Vannaheim. Birds sang in the branches. A fountain in the centre trickled water. The perfect appearance of calm and serenity.  
And then he turned. And what he saw broke him out of his newly found calmed state. For sitting on the bench, only a few feet away from him was...  
"Mother?" He said in a small, shaky voice.  
He blinked, and shook his head several times.  
No, it couldn't be. It just couldn't. His Mother was dead.  
And yet, here she was, golden hair cascading down her back, dressed in a fine gown, and the same gentle smile on her face.  
Loki felt his heart clench. He could hardly breath. Tears stung his eyes.  
"Mother, is that truly you?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
His Mother continued smiling at him. Loki couldn't take it.  
"Mother, I... I am sorry." He said. "I was a fool. I was angry at Odin and I... I did not mean to take it out on you... You have been one of the only people who has ever loved me for me and... And I am so, so sorry and..."  
His Mother put a hand on his shoulder, still smiling. Loki once again felt like a small child, sad, lonely, seeking some form of comfort.  
"Mother?"  
She stroked a thumb under his eyes, wiping away his tears.  
"Oh, Loki." She said gently, as she would always do whenever he was a child.  
Loki wanted to crawl into her lap. He wanted her to hold him in her arms and cradle him as she had done when he was a child, when he was still young enough for a Mother's comforting embrace. He longed for the days when all that was needed to fill him with joy was for his Mother to hold him to her breast and assure him that everything would be alright. Back when he was still innocent, before the cruelty of life stole the innocence of childhood away.  
Unfortunately, not even this moment could last. For the scene suddenly dissolved around him. The bright day quickly became darker and leaves began to blow in a non-existent wind.  
He reached out a hand, reaching for his Mother.  
"Mother, please," He begged. "Don't leave me again!"  
His Mother only smiled sadly.  
"I assure you my son, the sun will shine on us again." She said gently before fading away.  
Loki yelled out in frustration and grief. He fell from the stone bench he had been sitting on and collapsed onto his knees. He screamed his frustration to the sky.  
"The sun will shine on us again."  
He remembered the line. His Mother had always said it to him whenever he had been upset as a child. It was a promise, that no matter what happened, the situation would get better.  
Once, the words had brought him comfort. Now, they only brought him pain. For the sun would never shine on the two of them again.  
He would never see his Mother standing in the light of day, sitting in her garden, smiling at him. never again. And this hurt Loki to no end.  
He felt as if he was about to break down again. And then, he was broken from his thoughts by a knew presence.  
"Loki."  
He looked up to see...  
"You." He practically growled.  
He quickly got to his feet and turned to face the woman before him. Dark hair framed a pale face with all too familiar green eyes. He looked around himself to see they now stood in what appeared to be a barren wasteland. The woman was smiling at him, but he could not help but feel angered.  
For his Mother had vanished, only to be replaced by... His other mother.

Hela could hardly contain her excitement. She had waited for this moment for so long. She had desired to talk to him as soon as she had broken out of her prison, but they had unfortunately had some extra company. And Hela wished for a private conversation with her son.  
Hence, she had waited for him to fall asleep. For there was no place more private than his own mind.  
She was able to dream-walk using her Vannir mirror. Before, in her prison, she had only had enough power to whisper on the wind. But now, she could do so much more. She could now penetrate someone's mind, as long as they weren't to heavily guarded. And, fortunately for her, Loki's mental defenses were still healing, which made things a lot easier.  
She now approached him in his mind. The young man was on his knees, screaming at the heavens. Hela couldn't blame him. Through her mirror, she had seen just how tactfully Thor had explained things to him.  
Honestly, the red-haired Midgardian woman was right, Thor needed to work on his handling of delicate information and reveals. For a matter of fact, so did Odin. It seemed that Loki was the only male in their broken excuse for a family who had ever heard of the word subtlety.  
Hela broke from her musings and walked towards her son.  
"Loki." She said gently.  
Instantly, his head snapped to face her. His expression was unreadable, but his feelings were clear through his voice.  
"You." He growled, quickly getting to his feet.  
It was clear, she was not welcome. She ignored the clear hostility in his tone and the strange twinge in her heart and attempted to seem less violent and intimidating.  
"Hello, my S..."  
"Don't." He interrupted.  
Hela blinked, but remained calm.  
"I understand this must be hard for you." She began. "Especially after how poorly that oath revealed the truth..."  
"That is still up for debate." He sneered.  
Hela sucked in a calming breath.  
"It is true Loki." She said gently. "You need only look at the two of us to know that you are my..."  
"What?" Loki asked, his voice dripping with anger. "Your son?"  
"Yes." Hela replied.  
Loki scoffed.  
"As if you even care."  
"But I do care." Hela interjected. "I care more deeply for you than I do for anything..."  
"Oh really?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. "A fine way of showing it, leaving me to die cast out on a frozen rock."  
Hela clenched her fists.  
"I did not." She growled.  
"That is not what I have heard." Loki retorted.  
"Oh, and where have you heard such a tale?" Hela asked.  
Loki blinked.  
"Odin..."  
Hela scoffed.  
"Loki, you and I both know that you are fare to intelligent to believe that old fool's lies."  
Loki frowned.  
"Then what truly happened?" He asked.  
Hela sucked in a deep breath.  
"Well, it is quite a long tale." She began. "Long ago, Odin and I went on a mighty conquest of the Nine Realms. There was nothing that could stand in our way. Whole armies fell before us."  
She smiled slightly at the memory. Then she continued.  
"And then, one realm was too powerful. Vannaheim. And so, Odin was forced to find a diplomatic solution."  
Hela rolled her eyes.  
"I can see you do not like diplomacy." Loki observed.  
Hela scoffed.  
"I was raised as a warrior, the cries of the battlefield were my lullabies."  
"You would be surprised how effective politics can be." Loki said. "That and violent, in their own way."  
"Well, in any case." Hela continued, wanting to get the story finished as soon as possible. "Part of the peace agreement was that Odin marry Frigga. And it was not long until Thor was born."   
She said the last few words with a voice full of contempt.  
"And after he was born, Odin had no more use for me. I was soon pushed into the shadows, along with the rest of Asgard's true history. You would be familiar with this."  
Loki shrugged. Hela continued.  
"I desired revenge, so I began seeking allies to take down Odin. And I found one, in the young King of Jottenheim, Laufey."  
She smiled at the memory of him. Even after all this time, she was still not sure of her feelings regarding her once lover.  
"He assisted me in raging war against Asgard, seeking freedom from the suppressive realm that believed it was greater than all others. Everything was going well, and I was growing closer to Laufey."  
Hela closed her eyes and sucked in a breath.  
"I still do not know if it was love or not, but what I do know is that there were some... Unforseen consequences of our relationship."  
"Oh, so is that what I am?" Loki asked rhetorically. "An unforseen consequence."  
"No, no." Hela insisted quickly. "Never."  
Hela sighed.  
"Admittedly, I had never given much thought to having children. At first, I was not sure how to feel about you. Laufey was excited, he had always wanted a child of his own."  
She sighed.  
"I was unable to fight, due to my pregnancy, and the war took a turn for the worst. I had hoped that, as soon as you were born, I would be able to rejoin the fight. Unfortunately, by the time your due date arrived, Asgard had already pushed the Frost-giants back to Jottenheim. Laufey defended the capital city of Utgard, whilst I was hidden in the temple containing the Casket of Ancient Winters. In the cold temple, I birthed you, and I named you, while the battle raged on. Unfortunately, mere minutes after your birth, the temple was attacked. So I left you, hoping you would be safe, while I went to defend against whomever would dare to harm my child."  
She sighed.  
"It was Odin. I could have killed him then and their, but I was still weak from the birth and..."  
She shook her head.  
"He imprisoned me in a barren wasteland, just as you see before you now, and of course you know the rest. Odin found you and took you along with the Casket of Ancient Winters. I did try to escape once, but that only resulted in the deaths of the Valkyries."  
Loki stood extremely still, his eyes wide with shock. He then regained his composer.  
"A very nice story." He sneered. "So, I am basically the reason for Jottenheim losing against Asgard."  
"No, of course not." Hela replied, aghast at the mere thought. "Though I had my doubts at first, I quickly came to care for you. Not a day has gone by that I hadn't thought about you, wanted to hold you in my arms..."  
"Oh, so you claim to want me." Loki began. "But what of Laufey? I doubt he would have wanted a bastard runt."  
Hela laughed.  
"You are neither unwanted nor a bastard. Laufey declared you his legitimate heir as soon as he heard of my pregnancy. He truly did care for you."  
Loki was shaking, with anger or with grief, she did not know.  
"So what now?" He asked. "What do you want from me?"  
Hela smiled.  
"Now, we can join together."  
Loki sneered.  
"Would you so readily fight with the one who killed your lover?"  
"That was not your fault." Hela soothed. "You were manipulated by Odin. He had you in a state where you were desperate for his approval, and willing to do anything to get it."  
She cautiously stepped closer to her son.  
"Loki, now is our time. We can have our revenge. Can you not see? We can make them all pay, Odin, Asgard, Thanos."  
Loki flinched at the last name.  
"Yes, I know of what that monster did to you." She said gently. "Join me, and we can destroy all who have wronged us."  
Loki frowned, a thoughtful expression on his face.  
"What of Thor?" He finally asked.  
Hela sneered.  
"What of him?"  
"Do you mean to kill him too?"  
Hela shrugged.  
"If it will come to that." She replied. "Yes, I am willing to kill him, if he gets in the way of what is rightfully ours."  
Loki's frowned deepened.  
"No, I can not allow it." He insisted. "Despite everything, I cannot let you take his life."  
Hela scoffed.  
"Truly, after all he did to you?" She asked. "After all the years of him shining while you were again and again pushed into his shadow? Centuries of him and his friends mocking you, and laughing it off as a joke?"  
"Shut up!" Loki yelled. "You know nothing."  
"Oh, don't I?"  
"No, you do not." Loki replied. "You were never there. You know..."  
"Absolutely everything." Hela interrupted. "In my prison, there was a special magic mirror. From this mirror, I watched you constantly. And when you needed it most, I would send you a song on the wind."  
Loki's eyes widened.  
"You." He said in disbelief.  
Hela smiled.  
"Yes. I have always watched you. Though my attention occasionally went to possible allies for when I escaped, the majority of my attention was on you."  
She looked down.  
"I did watch Laufey once, just after the war. He was distraught when he did not find us. He believed that Odin had killed us both. The only reason why he did not seek vengeance for our supposed murders was because Jottenheim had suffered greatly from the war and he needed to regain his strength."  
Loki scowled.  
"You claim to know everything about me." He began. "Then tell me, do you know what happened to Sigyn?"  
Hela blinked. Sigyn? Now, who was she exactly...?  
It took Hela a few seconds to remember. Then, the memory came back.  
"Yes, I remember her." She began. "Was she not a friend of yours?"  
"Of sorts." Loki replied.  
Hela thought for a few more seconds. Admittedly, this was a vague spot in her memory. There had been a part of Loki's adolescence when she had not been so frequent in visiting him. He had made a new friend who did not mock him for his sorcerer ways. He had seemed happier than he had in centuries, so she had believe that Loki would be fine for a decade or two, and had left to explore something that had drawn her attention. At this time, the mad Titan was beginning to grow his power. She had been investigating him, seeing if he would make a good ally.  
By the time she had returned back to Loki, his friend had mysteriously disappeared and she did not think she had ever seen him so upset. Hela had just brushed this off as another person who had betrayed her son, and therefore someone else to add to her list of people to kill. But now...  
"I am sorry." She said finally. "I am ashamed to admit that at the time, I was looking for allies in far off corners of the galaxy and was somewhat... Distracted."  
"Oh, were you?" Loki asked, scoffing.  
"Were the two of you close?" She asked gently.  
Loki scoffed.  
"As if you would understand." He said. "There is clearly no love in you. You did not love Laufey, you do not love me."  
The words stung. Not because of the words themselves, but because they so closely mirrored the words that Odin had said to her mere hours ago.  
She gritted her teeth.  
"You know," She began. "Thor may not look like Odin, but you sound like him."  
Loki stared at her, a sneer on his face.  
"Perhaps I do." He said.  
"Loki, please." She began desperately. "I may not know of what happened with this Sigyn, but we can find out together. Just please..."  
"Why should I side with you?" Loki sneered.  
"Because, I... I love you." Hela replied. "You are my son Loki, and I..."  
"No!" Loki yelled. "Don't say it. You are not my Mother. My Mother was a good, kind and strong woman, and now she is dead. She awaits me in Valhalla. You are not my Mother, you are only a... A stranger."  
Hela flinched.  
"Loki." She pleaded.  
"No." He replied coldly. "My Mother held me, even when I was rejected by the whole universe. She loved me regardless of my floors. She even stood by me after all I have done, all the blood I have shed."  
"I tried." She said.  
"You obviously did not try enough." He sneered. "Or perhaps, no matter how much you claim to love me, it was not enough to give you the strength you needed. But tell me, why did you go out and fight?"  
Hela blinked.  
"I had to protect you..."  
Loki continued to sneered.  
"You did not have to fight." He said, deceptively calm. "You could have just as easily escaped some other way. I have seen you using portals, the pathways between the realms. Why didn't you?"  
"I... I..." Hela tried, but she was unable to find the words.  
"You what? Were you just desperate for a fight. So desperate that you would leave your new-born on a frozen rock?"  
Loki continued to sneer and Hela could hardly breath.  
"My real Mother would have thought of the safety of her child, more than her want for a fight. She would have found some other way to escape. Violence is not the only way. My Mother knew this."  
"Loki, I am sorry." She tried to say.  
"No, you do not get to say sorry." Loki retorted.  
"Loki, I..."  
"Get out."  
"What?" She asked.  
"Get out!" Loki yelled.  
Suddenly, the world around them began to shatter, and Hela was violently pushed back into her own body.  
As she woke from her trance, she felt the large form a Fenris behind her. She lent back on the gigantic wolf.  
Hela had not cried since she was a child. Tears had not escaped her eyes for so long. Not when she was forced to be Odin's weapon, not when she was rejected in favour of Thor. Not even when she was imprisoned.  
But now... Her eyes were stinging with tears, just waiting to fall down her face.  
How could things have gone so horribly wrong?  
For over a thousand years, she had dreamt of the day when she would finally be reunited with her son. She longed for when she could finally hold him in her arms. She had waited so long for when she could join forces with her son to exact their revenge on all those who had wronged them.  
And now...  
Her chest ached. She had suffered from many injuries, far to many to count. Not all had been on the battlefield. She had felt the pain of betrayal, and of lose. She had felt it when she had been pushed aside, when she had been first separated from her son. She had even felt the pain of grief when she had watched Loki kill Laufey.  
But never before, had she felt such pain. Was this what heartbreak felt like?  
Oh Loki. Her Mischief son. The child she had longed to reunite with for so long...  
And the minute she is able to reunite with him, he rejects her. More than that, he had proclaimed that she was not his mother. That... That...  
She felt her blood boil with jealousy towards Frigga. Even when she was dead, Loki remained loyal to her. While Hela was still for the most part ambivalent about the woman, there was still the lingering resentment that her son had grown to call the other woman Mother.  
It did not help matters that Loki had practically frown this fact in her face.  
Hela clenched her fists.  
And then there was Thor. Even after all the pain that he had suffered because of the oath's ignorance, Loki was still loyal to him.  
Never before had she wanted to kill her half-brother more. But a nagging feeling in the back of her head told her that if she was to kill him, then Loki would never stop hating her.  
She sighed.  
He was upset, that was it. He had only just learnt of their connection, and he was clearly in distress over it.  
Yes, Hela thought.  
Give him some time, he will come around.  
And in the meantime, she would organise her allies.  
Hela grinned.  
Everything will work out. She would have her son, no matter what it took.

Loki woke with a start. For a few seconds, he was unaware of where he was. Then, the world came into focus.  
He was in a bed, his bed, in the room he had been given in the Avenger's tower.  
He looked around to find that his room was much less organised than he had last seen it. It actually more resembled his cell, after he had heard of his Mother's death. Various objects were scattered around the room, spread on the floor. Clothes had somehow been flown out of the wardrobe and now lay strewn on the floor. And, slumped against one wall, was...  
"Thor?" He said, his voice croaking.  
The blond man's head jerked up. He was clearly disheveled, but was smiling in relief nonetheless.  
"Loki, brother, you are awake." He said in his usual booming voice.  
"Thor... What did you do to my room?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.  
Thor smiled sheepishly.  
"Actually, it was you who did this." He replied. "A few seconds ago, you were under much stress. Your magic was swirling around you and there was little I could do to stop it. You even blew me against the wall."  
Loki shook his head.  
"How long... How long have I been unconscious?"  
"All night." Thor replied. "It is now morning."  
"And what exactly are you doing in my room?" Loki continued.  
"I have been sitting by your bedside all night, waiting for you to awaken." Thor replied. "I thought you may need some comfort, after..."  
Loki looked down and clenched his fists as the memories of his dream flooded his mind. Was it all real? Loki did not wish to believe it, but a part of him told him that it was.  
"It's true." He said weakly.  
"What?"  
"She is... Hela is..."  
Loki began to shake. Thor climbed into the bed next to him. It was a tight fit, considering Thor's large size, but they managed.  
"Brother, what happened?" Thor asked, his voice full of concern.  
"She came to me." Loki said in little more than a whisper. "In my dream. She came to me... And we talked, and..."  
Thor put a hand on his shoulder.  
"What did she have to say?"  
Loki sneered.  
"She was attempting to make an ally out of me."  
"And," Thor pressed. "What did you say?"  
Loki clenched his fist.  
"I refused, of course."  
"Really?"  
"Of course." Loki snapped.  
He sucked in a breath and looked down.  
"She was claiming to love me, but I did not believe her."  
He looked up into Thor's eyes.  
"She has a Vannir mirror, one she claims to have watched me for my entire life. She claims to know everything about me, and yet... And yet she knew nothing of... Of Sigyn."  
Thor wrapped him in a strong yet not too tight embrace. For once, Loki did not fight him.  
"She claims she was distracted during this time." He said, tears beginning to prickle his eyes. "Possibly the worst time of my life and she... She was to distracted to even check on me... And she so claims to love me."  
"Shhh." Thor hushed. "Do not worry brother, it will be..."  
The strength of Loki's sobs increased, and he clenched Thor's shirt in his fists. His mind had just jumped to something else he had learnt. Something that now left him distraught.  
"He loved me." He said in barely a whisper.  
"What?"  
"He loved me." Loki repeated. "Laufey, he... He loved me. Hela said... Said that he believed Odin had killed us both and that... That the only reason he did not seek vengeance against Odin was because of how much Jottenheim had suffered during the war."  
Thor began to stroke his back.  
"And do you believe her?"  
"Yes." Loki replied. "Something inside of me... Tells me it is true."  
Suddenly, memories flashed before his eyes. Of when he had seen Laufey. When he had bargained with him... Arranged with him to get Frost-giants into Asgard while Odin was in the Odinsleep and Thor was banished. He had been so distraught over what he had learnt of his true origins, that he had hardly noticed anything else. But now...  
He remembered the look in Laufey's eyes as they spoke. Recognition, joy... Hope.  
Despite Loki's reputation for trickery, Laufey had trusted him. Loki thought that he had trusted him far to easily. He had assumed that Laufey was a fool, but now... Now he thought that maybe... Maybe Laufey trusted him so easily, because...  
"He knew." Loki breathed. "He knew Thor, he knew that I was his..."  
Loki began to sob more forcefully. He remembered how Laufey had looked during his final moments. The look of triumph as he stood above Odin's body.  
"Your death came at the hand, of Laufey."  
Only for the look to vanish when Loki had stabbed him in the back.  
"And your death came with the son of Odin."  
He remembered his face. First there was shock, then betrayal. Then sorrow. And as Loki looked into his eyes as the King of Jottenheim died, he saw a look of unending grief.  
Loki had thought nothing of it, but now...  
"He trusted me." He said quietly. "When I tricked him into believing I was allying with him... He believed me and trusted me. He knew who I was, who I truly was, and he trusted me. And then I... I stabbed him in the back."  
"Shhh," Thor soothed. "It is alright brother."  
"No it is not!" Loki yelled. "You don't understand Thor, he trusted me, he wanted me, he loved me!"  
Loki began to shake.  
"He was my Father, and he wanted me, and I killed him for the Father who has always rejected me."  
He then chuckled darkly.  
"Hela claims to want me, but I know the truth. She only wants to use me, just as Odin did. She is not my Mother, Frigga was. She was always there for me, she always wanted me, and she is now dead too."  
He laughed, though there was no humour in it.  
"Either directly or indirectly, I am responsible for the deaths of the parents who wanted me, and now I am left with the parents who only want me for my power."  
Thor's grip on him tightened.  
"I am forever doomed to be unwanted."  
"You are not unwanted." Thor argued.  
Loki scoffed.  
"Name one person who actually gives a dam about me."  
"I do." Thor replied. "No matter what happens between us, you will always have me brother."  
Loki looked up at him.  
"She is going to come after you too." He said. "She said that... That she would kill you if you got in the way of what was rightfully hers."  
Thor's grip tightened.  
"I will not let her." He said strongly.  
"Nor will I." Loki replied.  
"Thank you, brother." Thor said gratefully.  
The two sat in silence. The atmosphere seemed to have calmed down somewhat. Then, Thor sighed.  
"Father wishes that I bring you back to Asgard." Thor began. "He fears you may ally with Hela."  
Loki frowned.  
"So what will you do?" He asked.  
Thor's eyes gleamed with determination.  
"I will not take you back there." He said firmly. "I will not have you put back in that cell."  
"Thank you." Loki sighed.  
Thor gripped his upper arm tightly.  
"Never fear brother, I will always be here for you."  
Loki smiled.  
"As will I for you."  
Thor smiled.  
"As Father said, a wise king, never seeks out war. But he must always be ready for it. I am ready for it, ready for her."  
"As am I." Loki replied.  
Thor smiled.  
"Together, you and I, the sons of Odin."  
Loki shook his head.  
"No, not the sons of Odin." He said. "You may still think of Odin as a Father, but I do not."  
Thor frowned.  
"Then will you be known as Laufeyson?"  
Loki thought for a few seconds. Though he now knew that Laufey had not left him to die as an infant, and had in fact cared deeply for him, he still did not feel comfortable with being called Laufeyson.  
"No." Loki replied. "Just... Not yet..."  
Thor frowned in thought, then, he grinned.  
"What about Friggason?"  
Loki blinked.  
"What?"  
"You still think of our Mother as well, your Mother, correct?"  
Loki nodded.  
"Well then," Thor continued. "Why not go by Friggason?"  
Loki frowned. It was uncommon, but not unheard of to use a Mother's name instead of a Father's. And Loki was quite unconventional to begin with.  
"I believe she would be happy with it." Thor urged.  
After a few moments, Loki nodded.  
"Very well, I suppose I am Loki Friggason for the time being."  
Thor smiled.  
"Then it is the sons of Frigga, standing together."  
Loki smiled. Even after all that had happened between them, he knew he could always count on his brother.  
But then, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. A part of him, that had heard Hela's words, her promises of revenge. And Loki could not help but want to answer the call. He could not help but imagine what would happen if he would accept the woman's offer of vengeance against all who had wronged him.


	5. Planting the seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela begins to gather allies, and Loki attempts to blow off some steam after his talk with Hela. Something is going on between Natasha and Loki, and Tony ships it.

Chapter 5:

When Loki and Thor returned to the common-floor, he saw that the rest of the avengers were there, obviously waiting for them. As soon as he and Thor entered, all five of them looked up at them. He saw several looks of hesitation, though there were also some glimmers of concern.  
"Hey," Steve began, getting up from the couch he had been sitting on.  
He carefully walked towards the two of them.  
"How you feeling?" He asked. "You gave us quite a scare there... But I can kind of understand, I mean..."  
"Yes," Loki said dryly. "My apologises for reacting so poorly to learning that my father is actually my grandfather, my brother is actually my uncle, and that my mother is so insane that she was imprisoned for a millennia by her own father."  
Steve shuffled nervously.  
"Sorry..."  
"It is fine Captain." Thor replied. "My brother is still dealing with his... Emotions."  
"Maybe we should sit down." Steve offered.  
The three of them joined the rest of the team without a word.  
"Well," Stark began. "You didn't break my tower again, so that's a plus. But you did break that band thing that kept you from the rest of your magic."  
Thor tensed.  
"Is that all that matters to you Stark...?"  
"It is fine Thor." Loki interrupted.  
Thor glanced at him.  
"You just experienced a magical and mental breakdown, and all this mortal can care about is his tower!"  
"I am not offended." Loki replied calmly.  
"Hey, it's not that I don't care." Stark said. "I was just trying to defuse the tension, try to take your mind off things."  
"Appreciated." Loki replied. "At least you are being honest."  
"Hey, no problem." Stark replied.  
He then lent in closer to Loki.  
"But if you want to talk, I have experience with shitty dads."  
This actually made Loki chuckle.  
"Thank you for the offer."  
Barton cleared his throat.  
"Okay, now that we've confirmed Loki is okay, what should we do about Hela?"  
Thor frowned.  
"Father wishes for me to take Loki back to Asgard, as he fears that he will betray us for Hela."  
"But your not going to do that, are you?" Romanov asked, much to Loki's surprise. Why should she care whether or not he was taken back to Asgard?  
Thor shook his head.  
"Nay, I shall not. I fear that it will only do more harm than good for my brother, and I trust him not to side with Hela."  
Barton's eyes narrowed.  
"How do you know he won't betray you?"  
Thor was about to stand, but Loki pushed him back down.  
"Because Barton, I would rather side with my brother, who actually gives a dam about me, than a woman who only wants me for my power." He replied.  
Barton winced, which brought Loki some satisfaction.  
"Wait, how do you know she wants you for your power?" Banner asked.  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"Because, she spoke with me in my dream."  
The results of this statement were several exclamations of shock and horror.  
"So... She can just... Go into our dreams?" Stark asked incredulously. "How?"  
"She possesses a Vanir Mirror." Loki replied. "A very powerful magical artifacts. With this, she is able to see and hear us at any time, any where."  
"Shit." Stark said.  
"Oh, great." Barton muttered.  
"She can also enter our dreams." Loki continued. "Though this takes much more concentration, but it can be used to intimidate us, invade our minds, or even kill us."  
"Great." Stark muttered.  
"Is there any way of stopping her from using her mirror on us?" Steve asked.  
Loki nodded.  
"I can make us all talismans, though I will need several herbs from Vannaheim."  
"I will go and retrieve them." Thor replied. "You are still banished to this realm, and I doubt Father will allow you to leave, even for this."  
Loki nodded. He then summoned a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote a list of what he would need. He handed it to Thor.  
"Get these as soon and discretely as you can." He said.  
Thor nodded.  
"I shall brother."  
And with that, the thunderer left, leaving Loki with the five remaining avengers.  
"Well," Loki began after a long and awkward pause.  
"I will be going to the training floor to, as you mortals say, blow off some steam."  
And with that, he too went towards the lifts and went down to the floor that had been turned into gyms for the team's training.

Hela stepped out of the portal, Fenris at her heels, into the cold that she had not felt for a thousand years. She looked at her surroundings to see the familiar temple, where she had given birth to her son.  
The son who had rejected her.  
Hela gritted her teeth. She was still trying to recover from the rejection. Part of her felt she would never recover.  
But not to worry. She knew he would come around. Deep down, they both wanted the same thing. Revenge. Revenge against Odin and all of Asgard.  
Now, she had to focus on achieving her revenge. And it all began here, in Jottenheim.  
The frost-giants had as much reason as any to hate Odin, considering all that they had suffered from the old fool. She was going to convince them to join her cause. And once Loki came around, he could take his rightful place as King.  
Hela grinned. It would be the perfect revenge against Odin. He had desired to make Loki a puppet-king to control the frost-giants. Well, he wanted Loki as king of Jottenheim, so that was what he was going to get. Unfortunately for him, the puppet would have no strings.  
Hela was broken out of her musings by the sound of approaching footsteps. Just as she summoned a sword to her hand, a frost-giant burst threw the door leading into the main chamber of the temple. Fenris began to growl, but Hela silenced him. It took her a few seconds to recognise him.  
"Halt intruder." The giant began. "How dare you come to this sacred place with... You." He hissed the last word.  
Hela grinned.  
"Hello Skjold." Hela replied.  
The frost-giant in question scowled. They had briefly known each other during the war. He had been one of Laufey's most trusted advisers. Though they had only spoken to each other a handful of times, it was evident that he recognised her.  
"We believed you dead." Skjold said in disbelief.  
"Evidently, I am not." Hela replied calmly.  
Skjold scowled.  
"So you have been alive, whilst my King grieved for you. I suppose you ran off with King Laufey's child once you saw the destruction brought by your war." He spat.  
Hela scowled.  
"I did not leave willingly. Odin banished me, and I was unable to escape until now."  
Skjold clenched his fists.  
"Why have you returned here? Have we not suffered enough from the house of Odin?"  
Hela frowned.  
"I have come here seeking an alliance..."  
Skjold scoffed.  
"Just as you did a millennia ago?" He asked sarcastically. "Because that went oh so well."  
"This time will be different." Hela retorted.  
"I have no reason to trust you." Skjold spat. "My King died, without an heir, because of you and the rest of Odin's spawn."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"What do you believe happened?" She asked.  
"I know what happened." Skjold retorted. "The elder son of Odin came here with his friends and slaughtered many of us. And then, the younger tricked Laufey into believing he would help us take our revenge upon Odin, only to be betrayed by the wretched son of a..."  
Hela threw a dagger at him, narrowly missing his head.  
"Do not speak of him in such a way." She hissed.  
Skjold sneered.  
"Why, protective of your little brother?"  
"He is not my brother." Hela growled.  
Skjold scoffed.  
"Regardless of your feelings towards your traitorous kin, the damage remains the same."  
He gestured angrily around them.  
"It is civil war, out there. Faction upon faction are trying to claim Jottenheim, the throne that had been left empty from Laufey's death, and it is all because of the house of Odin."  
"What if I were to tell you that I can fix this?" Hela said calmly.  
"Oh, and how will you do this?" Skjold demanded.  
Hela grinned.  
"I can unite the factions together, and put the rightful King of Jottenheim upon his throne."  
"We have no King." Skjold retorted. "Laufey had no other children, besides the one you bore him. And Odin killed him long ago."  
Hela's grin widened.  
"No, Laufey's son lives still." She said.  
Skjold's eyes widened.  
"What do you mean?"  
Hela sneered.  
"Do you truly believe Odin would not concoct a horrible scheme involving my child?"  
"How so?"  
"Think about the younger son of Odin." Hela began. "You have seen him, have you not?"  
Skjold nodded.  
"Well," Hela began. "Did he not look quite different in comparison to his brother?"  
Skjold frowned.  
"You also look very different to Thor Odinson."  
"That would be because we do not share the same mother, and our mothers looked very different. Now, how did the two men look?"  
"Well, while the thunderer was gold of hair and had eyes of blue, the trickster had hair as dark as night and eyes of emeralds." Skjold replied. "But you also have hair of night and eyes of emeralds."  
Hela grinned.  
"Is it not strange, that two who have fair hair and blue eyes would conceive a child with hair of night and eyes of emeralds? And is it not strange that a man who was presumably born from the Asgardian Queen's secret pregnancy at the end of the war would resemble me so strongly when I myself more resembled my mother than my father? If you compare myself to the two men, then Thor looks more like the half-sibling than I."  
Skjold frowned for a long time in concentration. Then, his eyes widened. His eyes examined her closely.  
"No." He breathed. "Are you... Are you saying that...?"  
"Yes." Hela replied. "Loki is my son, Laufey's son, and the rightful King of Jottenheim. Odin took him, seeking to make him a puppet-king when the time came. Unfortunately, Laufey's son proved to be too wayward for him."  
Skjold shook his head.  
"Regardless of the man's true heritage, he is still the one who killed Laufey. He is a kinslayer, and no one will accept him as king."  
"Yes, they will." Hela retorted. "We only have to convince them that Loki was a victim in this, just as much as they were. If they see that he too was a mere pawn in the All Father's games, then surely they would be more willing to accept him. Especially if he promises them justice for the death of his Father and their king."  
Skjold frowned.  
"But would he not be loyal to Odin still?"  
Hela scoffed.  
"After all that he had suffered, I doubt it."  
Skjold was quiet for a long time.  
"Yes, this could work." He said.  
Hela grinned. The frost-giants were very loyal to their own kind. She was sure that once they heard Loki's side of the story, they would put the blame of Laufey's death upon Odin where it belonged.  
"But why is he not here himself?" Skjold continued.  
Hela frowned.  
"Despite his hatred for Odin, he remains loyal to Thor."  
Skjold scowled.  
"Then how can we trust him?" The giant demanded.  
Hela grinned.  
"He shall come around. I know it. The desire for revenge will convince him."  
Skjold frowned, but nodded.  
"Very well." He said. "Then how have you planned on taking down Odin and all of Asgard?"  
Hela grinned.

Loki had found himself in one of the gyms. He had spent the last several hours taking his frustrations out on what the midgardians called a "Punching-bag". He had become hot and discarded his shirt long ago. His mind was still a mess of thoughts and emotions. And at the centre of it, was that song.  
Now, after Hela had visited him in his dream, he remembered the song all too clearly. It now flowed threw his mind, echoing in his thoughts.

Mischief Son, I'll shake your belief,  
Once you discover, that you're Father's a thief...

She had been manipulating him. All his life, this song had given him comfort. It had helped him during some of the darkest of times. But now... It only brought him pain.  
She had been manipulating him. Whispering on the wind of how Odin was lying to him. She knew that he did not remember the words. But the whispers were enough to plant the seeds in his mind.

For we are the prof, of how he lied for, centuries...

His entire life was a lie. The truth was always held just out of his grasp, and he did not even know it.

Laufeyson, Odinson, Laufeyson,  
Odinson, Laufeyson, Odinson...

She had even tried to turn him against Thor. She had seen his envy of his brother, and had attempted to manipulate it for her own ends.

Mischief Son, your spirit will hate him,  
The son that was born, to my father the traitor...

She claimed to love him. But he knew the truth. She only wanted him for his power.

Mischief son, each day you grow strong,  
Each moment I'm planning, for I know Odin grows older...

But what was she planning? What did she intend to do with him, once she gained his power.

For the child of my body,  
The flesh of my soul,  
Shall die fight, for the birthright Thor stole...

Was that it? Did she wish for him to die for the throne of Asgard? For the throne that she believed was rightfully hers, and that she believed Thor stole from her?  
Loki clenched his fists.  
That was what it all came down to. The bloody throne of Asgard. He honestly could not care less about the dam thing. He had never truly wanted the throne. He had only ever wanted to be as loved as Thor.  
But no, he would never be loved as much as Thor.  
He was only a pawn in the fight between Odin and Hela. Both claimed to love him, and yet both only used him until he was a mere shell of himself. He had been manipulated for his entire life, and he was tired of being manipulated!  
Thud.  
Loki looked to see that he had accidentally broken the punching-bag. Great, now the avengers would be angry at him.  
"Having fun?"  
He looked to see Agent Romanov, leaning against a wall and staring at him.  
"I am fine." Loki said. "Sorry about that." He added, gesturing to the broken punching-bag.  
The assassin only shrugged.  
"It's okay. Cap does that all the time. We keep a healthy supply."  
The two stared at each other.  
"Something on your mind?" She asked  
Loki clenched his fists.  
"Nothing." He said. "Just... Do you remember that song I was singing when you came into my room?"  
Romanov raised an eyebrow.  
"I remember it now." He continued. "For my entire life it had always been just on the edges of my thoughts, and I could never remember it. But now I do, and it turns out it was just a way for Hela to manipulate me using her dam Vanir Mirror."  
He did not know why he was confessing all of this to her. He supposed he just needed to let it out.  
"My entire life has been a lie. I am nothing more than a weapon, a pawn in the game between Hela and Odin, and I am tired of it!"  
He could feel his body shaking. He looked at his hand in horror to see it was becoming blue, so he quickly calmed himself down. Thankfully, his skin returned to it's usual pale complexion. He looked up to see that Romanov had walked over to him. They looked into each others eyes, barely a foot apart.  
"I know how it feels." She said quietly. "The people who made me... They taught me to only do one thing, and that was to kill who they told me to. For a long time my life revolved around this one order. I was only a weapon to them, just like the others who were trained by them."  
They continued to look into each others eyes.  
"Why are you talking to me, Agent Romanov?" He asked quietly.  
"Barton was sent to kill me." She began just as quietly. "He saw that there could be good in me, so he gave me a second chance. This is me giving you the same chance."  
Loki sneered.  
"Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?"  
"This is not about my ledger." She replied calmly. "This is about giving someone like me another chance."  
"I am like you?" Loki asked. "How?"  
"You are a victim." She replied. "A victim of other people's schemes."  
"And you believe I can be redeemed?"  
"We shall see." Romanov replied.  
The two were silent for a long time. Finally, Romanov spoke again.  
"Do you still need to blow off some steam?" She asked. "Cause I'm feeling in the mood for a fight."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Are you not afraid I shall hurt you?"  
Romanov grinned.  
"Like to see you try."  
And with that, she sprung on him.

Steve and Tony were sitting in a room that had a window looking into the gym that Loki had taken. They had watched him beating up a punching-bag, and now they were watching as he fought against Natasha. They were doing this to ensure Loki did not accidentally destroy anything, or anyone. Or at least, this had been the idea at first. Now, they were only watching the match between the assassin and the Asgardian.  
"They're pretty good." Steve observed.  
"Yeah." Tony agreed. Somehow, Steve did not know how, he had actually gotten some popcorn to eat while watching the match. "Who do you think will win?"  
Steve shrugged.  
"I don't know. Loki's got the superior speed and strength, but Natasha has some tricks up her sleeve."  
Tony nodded.  
"How long do you think it'll be until clothes go flying and they do another kind of fighting?"  
Steve spluttered, his face becoming red.  
;Wha!?"  
Tony chuckled.  
"Oh come on Cap, just look at them. Surely even you can see the sexual tension. Remember when they were talking all up close?"  
Steve cleared his throat.  
"We don't know what they were talking about." He argued.  
It was true. While they could look at them, they could not here them.  
Tony shrugged.  
"There's something going on. I can see it now."  
"See what?" Thor asked as he entered the room, his arms filled with strange herbs.  
"Hey Thor, did you get everything?" Steve asked.  
Thor nodded.  
"Yes. I had to go to Vannaheim, as I did not wish to draw father's attention by taking them from Mother's old garden."  
He put the herbs on the table.  
"Now, what were the two of you discussing?"  
Steve attempted to speak, but he was stopped by Tony speaking first.  
"We were talking about how long it will take for Natasha and your brother to do the dirty."  
Steve's face became red again. Thor merely stared at him blankly.  
"What would prompt such an idea?" He asked.  
Tony gestured to the window, where Natasha and Loki still fought.  
"Look at that. Can't you see the unspoken sexual tension?"  
Thor stared at his brother and the assassin for a long time. Finally, he shrugged.  
"Yes, I can see something between them, it is true. However, I doubt that anything will come of it."  
"Why?" Tony asked  
Thor sighed and sat down.  
"Despite my brother's reputation, he has not had much in the way of a romanic life. While he has had the occasional lover over the centuries, they have never resulted in anything in the way of romance. Not since his adolescence."  
"What?" Tony asked in surprise.  
Thor nodded gravely.  
"He has never quite gotten over his first love."  
"Who?" Tony asked.  
Thor smiled.  
"She was a lovely young woman, of the Vanir. Loki adored her. She was the only one who never mocked him for his use of magic."  
"You mean Sigyn?" Steve asked.  
Thor blinked.  
"He told you of Sigyn?"  
Steve nodded.  
"He told me that she was one of his closest friends."  
Thor chuckled.  
"Oh, they were far more than that."  
"Who was she?" Steve asked.  
Thor sighed.  
"She was the younger daughter of the queen of Vannaheim, Freya. Mother would frequently take Loki on extended trips to Vannaheim to learn from their academy of magic. During these trips he met Sigyn, and they instantly hit it off. She was kind and loyal to him, and he the same. She would defend him whenever someone mocked him."  
Thor then frowned.  
"Then, rumours began to spread about them. Rumours that they had been... Intimate with each other. They were both members of great royal houses, so Father had to do something to prevent a scandal. His only solution was to banish Sigyn."  
"What?" Both Steve and Tony said in shock.  
"Couldn't Loki and Sigyn have just gotten married?" Steve continued.  
Thor shook his head.  
"Both were only in their late five hundreds."  
Tony choked on his snack-food.  
"Only in their late five hundreds?" He spluttered.  
"To you Midgardians they would have only been what you would call teenagers." Thor continued. "They were not of age, so they could not wed."  
Steve frowned.  
"If they weren't adults, then Sigyn would have only been a kid. And yet Odin banished her?"  
Thor shook his head.  
"I am not making excuses for my Father's actions. Even then I thought that what he had done was wrong."  
Thor sighed and stared at his brother through the window.  
"I am ashamed that I have been so blind to my brother's true pain until now. However, even I could see the impact of losing Sigyn. He loved her, still loves her, so much that his interactions with woman never go further than a night or two of passion. He refuses to believe she could be dead, and still holds out hope that she still loves him as he does her. They had quite a profound bond."  
Both Steve and Tony were silent for a long time. Steve could understand how Loki felt. His dreams were still filled with the memory of Peggy, and the dance they had never had.  
"So wait," Tony finally said. "How olds Loki now?"  
"Soon he will be 1048." Thor replied.  
Toy again spluttered.  
"A thousand and forty eight?"  
Thor grinned.  
;YES, quite young actually."  
"And how old are you?" Steve asked.  
"I am a century older than Loki." Thor replied.  
Steve was silent, trying to process this information. Tony however, did not need as much time.  
"So wait," He began. "What you're saying is that, Loki has been hung up on his height school sweetheart for almost five hundred years?"  
Thor sighed.  
"Yes, I am afraid so."  
"Wow." Tony said. "If Loki loved this Sigyn so much, and he's been suffering for this long because Odin banished her... Thor, no offense, but your dad has got to be the biggest dick ever."  
Steve did not argue. From what he was hearing, Odin was responsible for centuries of suffering, and the reason why Loki had done what he did. He felt that if he did actually meet the king of Asgard, that he would not be able to keep from punching him.  
Thor sighed again and looked at his brother. He could indeed see something growing between his brother and Agent Romanov. Though he still did not believe that anything would come of it, save perhaps a night or two of passion. He knew that his brother's heart still bled for the love he had lost a long time ago. But part of him could only hope that something did truly come of this growing connection between Loki and Romanov.


	6. The beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela really, really hate diplomacy. But at least she is now able to properly begin her conquest against Odin and Asgard. And she gains a very unexpected ally.

Chapter 6:

It only took Loki about a week to complete all seven talismans. During this week, everyone in the tower were tense. They were all afraid of falling asleep, as they feared Hela would attack them in their dreams. Staying awake for so long was fine for Steve and the two Asgardians, as they had a high amount of stamina. However, the same could not be said for Bruce, Natasha, Tony and Clint. Tony attempted to horde all of the coffee in his lab, Bruce looked like he was going to lose control of the Hulk any second now, and the two assassins were attempting to use methods of staying alert that were used for long-term missions. It got to the point where the four of them were camped out in the common-floor, with Steve and Thor waiting to wake them up if anything seemed to happen in their sleep. Thankfully, Hela seemed to be preoccupied with something other than eliminating the Avengers.  
Loki went seven days, twelve hours, twenty-six minutes and thirty seconds without even one second of sleep. Normally, this would not have been a problem due to his stamina. However, as he was putting much of his energy into creating seven talismans to shield the Avengers and himself from Hela's mirror, it was much harder to stay awake. By the end of it, he was very thankful for coffee, one of the better Midgardian inventions, in his opinion.  
Once he completed the talismans, he sighed in relief. He had had to use his magic to craft objects out of silver, which were small enough to ware with a chain around the neck. Then, he had had to smear the objects with the herbs and periodically cast enchantments of concealment and protection. In all, it was exhausting. But he was glad of the result.  
He looked at the seven identical talismans spread before him on the desk. He had thought long and hard of what shape the talismans should be. And finally, he decided on a shape that he believed would please Thor, and piss Hela off. Hopefully, it may also convince Odin that he was still loyal to Thor, and therefore did not have to be taken back to Asgard.  
Just as he had finally relaxed, Thor entered his room.  
"Brother, how are the talismans going?" His brother asked.  
Loki grinned.  
"I have just finished. Care for a look?"  
He gestured to the desk. Thor's gaze flicked to the talismans. At first, he appeared shocked. Then, he walked to the desk in disbelief. He picked one of the talismans up with a shaking hand.  
"Is... Is this..." He began hesitantly. "Mjolnir?"  
Loki could see tears appearing in his brother's eyes.  
"Yes," He began. "I thought that this form would be appropriate, as your hammer was once a symbol of your power, and of protection. Hopefully this will prove to Odin that I am still loyal to you, and hopefully it will also anger Hela, as it seems that she hates both you and Mjolnir."  
His brother only looked at him, still clutching the small silver hammer tightly. Loki was thankful he had put charms on them to ensure they were practically indestructible.  
"Do you like it?" He asked.  
Suddenly, Thor swept him up in a tight embrace.  
"Oh brother, thank you!" He boomed.  
"Thor... Please... Can't... Breath..." He choked out.  
Thor let him go and Loki fell backwards onto his bed.  
"I am sorry," Thor began. "But thank you. You do not know how much joy I now feel."  
Thor sat on the bed next to him. Loki put a hand on his shoulder.  
"I know how much you grieved after witnessing Hela destroy your hammer." He began.  
Thor looked down at the talisman in his hands.  
"Yes, I am still greatly disheartened from seeing it." He began. "It is just... Mjolnir and I... We shared a special bond."  
He sighed.  
"I feel hollow without it. Now, I do not know what to do. I wish to fight Hela, but I fear that I will not be of much use. Without Mjolnir, I do not have much of my power."  
Loki frowned.  
"Thor, you still have your power." He began. "You just need to learn how to access it without Mjolnir."  
Thor looked up at him, hope shining in his eyes.  
"You believe so?" He asked.  
Loki smirked.  
"Of course. Magic courses through your veins, just as it does in mine, and as it did in Mother's. While your magic may manifest differently, it is still part of you. You do not honestly think that Mjolnir was the source of your power?"  
He smirked mischievously.  
"Who are you, Thor, God of Hammers?"  
Thor shoved him playfully. The two laughed.  
"So, do you believe that you can access your powers to rain thunder and lightning upon Hela?" He asked.  
Thor smiled.  
"Only if you will teach me."  
He stared at his brother.  
"You honestly want my help in accessing your magic?" He asked.  
Thor nodded.  
"Loki, you are the greatest sorcerer in the Nine Realms. If anyone can show me, it is you."  
Loki smiled. And then, he chuckled.  
"Just imagine Asgard when they learn that their mighty Thor is learning how to directly use magic, which they all see as a woman's art."  
Thor chuckled.  
"I always believed that to be a little ridiculous." He said. "After all, if women can be mighty warriors, then surely men can be great sorcerers."  
Loki smiled.  
"Pease remember to tell Sif that."  
He had always disliked the hypocrisy of the woman. After all, she, like him, was trying to fight gender stereotypes. Her situation was like his, only in reverse. And yet she was too foolish to see it.  
After a few seconds, Thor spoke.  
"While we are discussing warrior women," He began. "Earlier, I noticed you sparing with Lady Romanov."  
Loki smiled. He had quite enjoyed fighting with the assassin. Surprisingly, she actually gave him a challenge. Too many of the Asgardians used brute force, and did not try to use slyer attack methods. Agent Romanov, on the other had, was not afraid to use such tactics.  
"Yes, she was quite formidable." He began.  
Thor smiled.  
"Stark believes that there was something... Else, between the two of you."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"How so?"  
Thor sighed.  
"He seemed to think there could be potential for a relationship between the two of you."  
Loki frowned. It had been centuries since he had last courted someone. Not since...  
He shook his head.  
"I admit, Romanov is quite intriguing for a Midgardian," He began. "However, I do not believe anything will happen between the two of us."  
Thor frowned. He put a massive hand on Loki's shoulder.  
"Brother, I know your heart still mourns for Sigyn." He began. "But surely, after all this time, it would be best to move on. You need to put the past behind you."  
Loki looked down and clenched his fist.  
"I can't Thor." He said quietly. "I just... I do not even know if she is alive or... What if she is out there, somewhere, waiting for me?"  
He looked into his brothers eyes.  
"When... When the Chitauri were torturing me... They... They showed me visions. Visions of her. She was... She was still as beautiful as the last day I saw her. And in every single vision, they forced me to kill her, slowly, intimately, in every way I know she feared. And they said that if I did not do as they said, then..."  
He shook his head and blinked back his tears.  
"What if she is alive? What if they have her and I... I need to save her Thor? I need to find her?"  
Thor wrapped a strong arm around his brother.  
"Do not worry brother, we will find out the fate of Sigyn, no matter what it takes."  
He then looked into Loki's eyes, a serious expression on his face.  
"But brother, what if she is dead?"  
Loki clenched his fist.  
"Then I will avenger her." He replied. "And then... I don't know."  
He grinned bitterly.  
"Perhaps something could come of myself and Romanov."  
Thor sighed. His brother had suffered much, and now he was going to do whatever it took to heal him.  
"I hope something does." He began. "At least one of us should be happy with a woman."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Do you not have Jane Foster?"  
Thor shook his head.  
"After what happened with the convergence, we decided it would be safer to just be friends."  
"You mean she, as the Midgardians would put it, dumped you?" Loki asked.  
"What, no." Thor replied quickly. "She didn't dump me, I dumped her... Err, it was a mutual dumping."  
Loki smirked.  
"Whatever you say brother."  
"Come, let us give these talismans to the others." His brother said quickly.  
With that, the two brothers stood and gathered the six remaining talismans.

The past five weeks had been an excruciating experience for Hela. After her conversation with Skjold, they had discussed how best to unite the waring factions. After long hours of debating back and forth, Hela was finally forced to accept that she could not simply force the frost-giants into submission. Skjold argued that if she won through violence alone, then she would be no better than the Asgardians. And so, in the end, she had had to settle for diplomacy.  
It was hard. The frost-giants were frustrating to negotiate with, and Hela had little patients for such methods. She was a warrior, not a diplomat. She had to resist the urge several times to simply kill the faction leaders.  
Thankfully, Skjold was able to help her. She was truly thankful that the old frost-giant had decided to side with her.  
Things were helped along once they were able to spread the true tale of the lost prince of Jotunheim. Once the frost-giants heard of what had happened to their King's only son, their loyalty to their race served to make them more willing to join her cause, regardless of what either she or Loki had done. Instead of blaming Loki for the death of Laufey, they put the guilt purely on Odin.  
They were only further outraged to hear of Loki's torture at the hands of Thanos. Though many feared him, the frost-giants unanimously agreed that the mad Titan had to die, just as much as Odin. Hela was pleased. Maybe, after seeing how willing the frost-giants were to follow him, Loki would join her.  
Now, she stood before a great gathering of frost-giants. Thousands upon thousands of them stood before her. She had just been declared Queen Reagent, until the rightful King was ready and willing to take his throne.  
"People of Jotunheim!" She began loudly. "A thousand years ago, I sort revenge against Odin and Asgard. The self-proclaimed protector or the Nine Realms had used me, his own daughter, as a personal weapon since I was little more than a child."  
The frost-giants grumbled amongst themselves in anger. They adored children, and hated hearing of anyone abusing them.  
"I sort allies throughout the Nine Realms to help me in my quest. However, many feared the power of Odin and of Asgard. The memory of his conquests was still fresh in their minds. None were willing to help me, except for one. Your King, Laufey. Only he had the courage to stand against Asgard."  
The frost-giants cheered for their late King.  
"We fought a mighty war. However, we were unfortunately defeated. Back then, we had little allies. But now, Odin and Asgard's strength is waning. Only two years ago, the Bifrost, which allowed the people of Asgard to travel between the Realms, was destroyed by Thor Odinson. They were unable to sustain control of the other Realms. And though the colonies have now gained back the majority of their strength, and though the bifrost his now repaired, the damage has been done. The other Realms now know what it is like to be free of Asgard. Now, they may be more willing to join us in overthrowing the Realm eternal!"  
Hela raised a clenched fist. The entire crowd cheered and the ground shook with their exclamations.  
"Now, we will stand, and we will fight! The time of Asgard is over! Before, I fought for vengeance. Now, I fight for so much more! I fight for freedom, and for justice! The people of the Nine Realms have suffered for too long. I was forced to watch as my only son, and your rightful King, was manipulated and abused by Odin and Asgard. He, like us, was pushed into the shadows. And now, he, like us, will rise from the shadows! Soon, he will see the truth and join us! Stand with me, people of Jotunheim, and together, we will free the Nine Realms from Odin Allfather!"  
They yelled, and Hela smirked. They all began chanting.  
"Hela! Hela! Hela!"

Later, she was sitting in her chambers, Fenris at her door, guardian vigilantly. She held her Vanir mirror in her lap. She had been trying, yet again, to see her son. However, she was unsuccessful.  
For the past five weeks, she had tried and failed to visit Loki in his dreams again. She was even unable to see him in the mirror. She could only think of one reason for this.  
He had found a way to ward against her.  
Of course he would have done so. Hela knew of his intelligence and his power. So of course he would have already found a way of warding himself and his companions from her sight.  
It was truly frustrating and heartbreaking. Never before had she felt so rejected. It felt as if he were pushed her away, more forcefully than ever. It only caused her to remember their conversation.  
"You are not my Mother, you are only a... A stranger."  
She gripped the mirror tightly. She would get her son back, no matter what it took. She would convince him to join her.  
She was broken out of her thoughts by a hesitant nocking on her door.  
"What?" She asked.  
"Your Majesty," A servant asked from the other side of the door. "There is someone in the throne-room asking for an audience."  
Hela frowned.  
"Is it important?" She asked.  
"It is Queen Freya of Vanaheim."  
Hela frowned. She knew that something of her conquest of Jotunheim must have surely spread. But she was honestly not expecting an emissary so soon after she had taken full control, let alone another monarch. Nevertheless, she still stood and left her chambers to see what the Queen of Vanaheim wanted.

Freya stood in the throne-room, awaiting her. The woman was of course accompanied by her two cats. Hela remembered that the woman was always accompanied by her cats, just as often as Hela was by Fenris.  
The woman was quiet beautiful, only a century or two older than Hela. Her golden hair fell in a long braid down her back, and her grey eyes examined her.  
Hela approached the smaller throne she had had to commission, as she felt rather ridiculous in the original throne intended for frost-giants.  
"Freya Queen of Vanaheim." She began calmly.  
Freya smiled.  
"Hela, Queen of Jotunheim."  
"Queen Reagent." She corrected.  
Freya's lips twitched in a smirk.  
"Queen Reagent." She replied.  
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked.  
Freya studied her intently.  
"My Volva's saw you rising from whatever prison Odin had put you in." She began. "And four the past weeks we have watched your conquest of Jotunheim."  
Hela smirked.  
"And?"  
"And," She continued. "I have heard that you wish to overthrow Odin."  
Hela raised an eyebrow. She knew of how attached Asgard was to Vanaheim. So much that many unions were born between the two races.  
"Has Odin sent you to dissuade me from this path?" She asked.  
Freya shook her head.  
"Odin did not send me, I sent myself."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"For what reason have you come hear?" She asked.  
Freya looked directly into her eyes.  
"I seek an alliance with you. It is my wish to free my people from the tyranny of Asgard."  
Hela lent back in her throne and thought for a long time. Finally she stood.  
"Come, let us discuss this in somewhere more comfortable."  
The vanir Queen followed Hela to personal study. Hela had arranged this room so a warm fire would burn in the hearth, without melting the entire fortress. Fur covered chairs sat the fire-place, and that is where the two women sat. Hela ordered wine for herself and her guest, and soon they both sat before a warm fire with a goblet of wine each.  
"So," Hela began. "You seek an alliance with my cause?"  
Freya nodded.  
"May I ask why?" Hela asked. "After all, from what I have heard, Vanaheim has quite a good relationship with Asgard."  
"You have evidentially heard wrong." Freya replied.  
Hela studied the woman intently.  
"What has Odin done to you?" She asked calmly.  
Freya's gaze flicked to the fire. Her grip on her goblet tightened.  
"He took something very dear to me."  
The woman was silent for a long time. Then, he eyes flicked back to Hela. She stared straight into her eyes.  
"Tell me," She began. "Are the rumours true? Is Loki truly your son?"  
Hela nodded.  
"Yes, after Odin imprisoned me, he stole my newborn, intending to make him a puppet-king of Jotunheim." She replied.  
Freya's gaze flicked back to the fire. She appeared lost in thought.  
"I knew him." She began. "Very well, in fact."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"How so?"  
A smile began to creep onto Freya's face.  
"My kinswoman Frigga would constantly bring him to Vanaheim during his adolescence." She replied. "He was truly an intelligent young man, always willing to learn. And during his visit, he became quite close with my younger daughter Sigyn."  
"I have heard of her." Hela began. "What was she to my son?"  
Freya's lips twitched in a smile.  
"Oh, the claimed to only be friends, but we all knew the truth. We all knew they were lovers."  
Hela had suspected this. After how Loki had spoken of her during their conversation, she had suspected that there had been something with this Sigyn.  
"What happened to her?" She asked.  
Freya's expression darkened.  
"During their late five hundreds, Odin caught wind of something that could have brought scandal to the house of Odin. I did not mind, I only wanted my daughter to be happy with the man she loved. But Odin... He only cared for his reputation."  
"What happened?" Hela asked quietly.  
"There were rumours that Sigyn and Loki had been intimate." Freya began. "Normally, this would have been easy enough to cover up. It could have been brushed of as mere rumours. However, the results of the intimacy were hard to ignore."  
Freya's eyes once again met Hela's.  
"Odin discovered that Sigyn, was with child."  
Hela spilt her wine in her shock.  
With child? No, it could not be.  
"The child was Loki's?" She asked.  
Freya glared at her.  
"Of course it was." She spat. "My Sigyn valued loyalty above all else. She would not have betrayed Loki."  
Hela held up a hand.  
"My apologies, I did not mean to offend."  
Freya's expression softened. She looked into the fire, her eyes full of sadness.  
"Odin saw no other way of preventing a scandal, than to banish her."  
Her grip on her goblet tightened.  
"I did not even get to say my farewells. She was only a child, and she was exiled from the Nine Realms. And with a child on the way."  
Her eyes met Hela, and the Goddess of Death could see the fury in their grey depths.  
"I do not know if she still lives, or what happened to the child." She began. "But I do know this, Odin must pay. I came here to seek an alliance, to avenger the injustice of my daughter's treatment at the hands of Odin. And perhaps, he will be able to tell me of her fate."  
"Does Loki know?" Hela asked. "Of Sigyn's pregnancy, I mean."  
Freya shook her head.  
"Odin strictly forbad it."  
Hela's thoughts turned in her mind. A new plan was blooming in her mind.  
Loki had loved Sigyn, that much was obvious. Perhaps, if he were to learn of this, of his child... Then perhaps this could be enough to persuade him to finally turn against Odin.  
Hela extended her hand.  
"I accept your offer of an alliance." She bed.  
Freya grasped her hand. For once, the golden-haired queen smiled widely, and Hela could see why she was regarded as the Goddess of love and beauty.  
"Where do we begin?" Freya asked.  
Hela smirked. Perhaps there were some merits in diplomacy.


	7. Flames of vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela's painting the town red... Literally. She's not even going to let the Avengers finish their breakfast.

Chapter 7:

The realm of Vanaheim was heavily populated by forests and wild areas. It made sense, as, the Vanir were a people of magic and fertility, which heavily relied on trees and nature.  
Now however, the dense woods served a much greater purpose. It was what hid Hela and Fenris, along with Freya and their forces, without having to waist the energy of the Vanir spell casters even before the fighting began through having to cloak them.  
Hela's entire body buzzed with anticipation. She could hear Fenris growly beside her, just like old times. It had been so, so long since she had actually been in a battle... Her desire for blood was overwhelming.  
She felt a slight twinge in her heart at the absence of Loki. She had imagined that she would fight the first battle of her revenge with him by her side. She had to remind herself that he would join her soon enough.  
She was now staring out of the forest to the Asgardian colony, only a hundred metres or so away from them. It was not too heavily guarded, only a few thousand actual warriors. A foolish oversight, no doubt born of Odin's arrogant assumption that Vanaheim would not dare rebel against him.  
Well, they were about to prove him wrong. She only wished she could see his face when he eventual heard of what was about to occur.  
"We are ready."  
She turned to see Freya, dressed in her armour and ready for battle.  
Hela grinned.  
"Good."  
Freya frowned.  
"Are you sure that we have enough fighters?"  
Hela looked at the small gathering they had brought to help with destroying the colony. Vanir warriors, unlike Asgardians, used both weapons and magic in their combat. This made them quite formidable, however, Asgardians were still seen as better with weapons in general, considering that they did not divide their attention between two forms of combat. Still, Hela believed that it was better to have skill in both weapons and magic, than only being a professional in just one.   
They had brought only around five hundred warriors, both of Vanaheim and Jotunheim. Freya had been sceptical, insisting that they should bring more. However, Hela had assured her that they would be fine.  
"Again, I assure you, we will be perfectly fine." She replied. "After all, while they may be mighty warriors, we are more diverse in our skills."  
Freya nodded.  
"Remember Hela," She began. "I do not want to harm any of the non-warriors and children in the colony."  
Hela nodded.  
"But the warriors are fare game?"  
Freya nodded. Hela smirked.  
"Excellent."  
Freya chuckled.  
"What is so amusing?" Hela asked.  
"Oh, nothing." Freya replied. "Only that you bare a striking resemblance to Loki when you have such an expression."  
Hela's smirk widened.  
"Good. Show we begin?"  
Freya nodded.  
"Should I expect Thor to come storming in?"  
Hela shook her head and smirked.  
"I have a little surprise for Thor and his little friends."  
"Dare I ask?" Freya asked before shaking her head. "Never mind. I am ready to begin the attack when you are."  
Hela nodded and turned to one of her generals, one of the former frost-giant faction leaders who had a lot of military experience.  
"It is time." She said. "Let us spill some Asgardian blood."  
The frost-giant grinned. He then turned to his frost-giants and barked an order. They lifted their hands, and heavy clouds gathered in the sky. Snow began to fall heavily, quickly coating the entire colony in a large layer of snow. Now the Asgardians, who were accustomed to the mild weather of Vanaheim, would have a much harder time of fighting, and the frost-giants will have no trouble in eliminating them.  
Hela smirked and summoned a large spear. Fenris's hackles raised and he began to growl. Hela put a hand on his large side.  
"Let us begin our revenge Fenris." She whispered.  
She then raised her spear high above her head.  
"Vanaheim, Jotunheim, to freedom! Let us paint the snow with the blood of Asgard!"  
A mighty roar echoed around her, and they all began to charge.

The situation in the tower had been tense. They had been expecting Hela to attack them at any second.  
However, nothing had happened. For two months, there had been no sign of her. This only made them more suspicious. What was she plotting? Tony kept saying that it could be anything, cause she was Loki's bio-mom, and he had to have gotten his scheming brain from somewhere. At this, Loki would throw a dagger at the wall behind Stark's head.  
Loki had spent much of the time either in the gyms or in the woods, far away from the tower or anything in the city.  
His time in the wild was spent trying to train Thor to use his powers. He thought that, considering Thor's powers revolved around lightning and storms, it would be more beneficial, and safer, to be outside while trying to train him.  
At first, they had had little success. He could barely summon a spark, let alone a storm. However, Thor, for once, was actually listening to Loki. Soon, Thor was throwing around lightning bolts.  
The only problem was teaching him how to actually control them.  
Several trees ended up getting hit and catching fire. He almost caused a serious forest fire at least five times. Loki found it hard to teach his hot-headed brother to control his inner lightning.  
"You need to stay calm and controlled." He kept saying. "Control your lightning, don't let it control you."  
"I'm trying!" Thor shouted. "I just cannot help it! Every time I feel the lightning in me, I remember how it felt with Mjolnir, and then I remember how Hela destroyed it. And then I cannot stop imagining blasting her with the biggest lightning bolt in the history of lightning bolts!"  
He then fired another lightning bolt. However, this did not hit a tree. This instead hit Loki himself.  
When the brothers returned to the tower, both Tony and Clint laughed to see that Loki's hair had become quite frizzy, causing him to have an afro.  
"Hey, what's with the hair?" Tony asked.  
"No comment." Loki replied dryly, before going to presumably fix his hair.

Eventually, thankfully, Thor had gained some control over his lightning. He and Loki now practiced using their respective powers in combat. Both actually found this enjoyable. Thor would often say that it felt just like when they were children. Loki smiled and agreed, though inside he thought it was much better.  
The avengers would sometimes come and watch, though behind very heavy wards courtesy of Loki. Loki remembered when people would watch him and Thor sparing in the training-yards of Asgard. They would always cheer for Thor, but never him. Whenever Thor won, they would congratulate him. Even Odin, who would then praise Thor for his skill in combat.  
However, whenever Loki won, no one would congratulate him. They would only walk away quietly. The only ones who would give him any amount of praise were his Mother and Sigyn. And now they were both gone...  
The avengers, on the other hand, cheered for both he and Thor equally. Well, at least most of them.  
Over the past two months, he had become closer to the Avengers. He was even on a first-name basis with most of them.  
Steve was a comfit. Whenever he had a bad dream, he would go to the Captain and he would listen patiently. He would help Loki calm down and work through the negative thoughts and feelings. He did not know why, but for some reason he felt comfortable talking to this man. He wondered if this was what it was like to have a friend.  
Tony was actually fun to be around. He was very intelligent, much like Loki, and the two would have very long discussions together. A lot of the time they ranted about their fathers, and Loki found many similarities between himself and the man. Both may have been raised in luxury, but they were also denied the one thing they wanted most. For their fathers to show even the slightest amount of affection.  
They would also discuss ideas about combining Asgardian magic with Midgardian technology. They both found the possibilities fascinating, and thought that they could come up with a way to make great improvements for Midgard through their combined studies.  
And Tony had also made a comment that he was curious if they could make something called a "lightsabre". Loki had asked him what that was, and that had led to Tony introducing him to a very popular part of Midgardian culture. He had actually found the movies quite enjoyable. This then led to him exploring Tony's extensive collection of movies and television shows. Tony had even recommended a children's show of all things. The man had argued that he thought Loki would like it, as there was a character who was a lot like him. So Loki had agreed. At first, he had found it boring, but then in the middle of the first season, he became more interested. By the end of the first season, he had discovered which character Tony was comparing him to, and for the rest of the series Loki eagerly watched the character's journey from antagonist to redeemed hero. It was quite beautiful, in his opinion.  
His new found fondness for Midgardian entertainment resulted in the entire team beginning a tradition of movie night. It was nice, having the seven of them on the common-floor and watching whatever they chose. Sometimes, Tony would order a Midgardian food called Pizza, something Loki grew to enjoy greatly.

His newfound friendship with Tony led to him spending more time with Dr. Banner, as he too was often in the labs. At first it was tense, as Loki was in constant fear of the Hulk. But eventually, he grew a bit more comfortable around the man. They often had conversations about the biology of the different races of the Nine Realms, and how certain species found it easier to interbreed then others. Bruce was also curious about Loki's shapeshifting abilities. He had proceeded to turn into many different forms.  
This also led to some awkward questions regarding certain tales from Mythology. And this led to many more questions about what was and what wasn't true.  
He was horrified, and a little disturbed, to here that the Midgardians believed he had actually given birth to Odin's horse Sleipnir. That would imply that he had actually lane with a horse, which was not an image he needed in his mind. He had been quick to tell everyone in the tower that he had no children what so ever, let alone an eight legged horse. And he was not even going to get into that story concerning a goat and his...  
But he was very amused when he heard the tale of Thor wearing a wedding dress, just to get his hammer back. Though he advised that it would not be wise to tell Thor this story, as he was still upset about Hela destroying Mjolnir.

He had continued to regularly spar with Natasha. He found it quite enjoyable. They would often talk while fighting, and she was a great conversationalist. He felt himself becoming closer to her, and he believed she felt the same. However, part of him was stopping anything to grow beyond a friendship. He could not allow it, would not allow it.  
Part of him still called for Sigyn. Still felt that she was out there, somewhere, calling for him...

Loki now stood in the kitchen on the Common-Floor, making some breakfast and both the kettle and the coffee maker on. After he discovered the miracle of coffee, he had wanted to learn how to make his own. And then, once he did learn, he discovered that he had quiet the talent for it. Now, he made coffee for the entire team.  
Well, excluding Bruce, who preferred tea, hence why Loki also had the kettle going, and Barton.  
Though Loki had apologised to him, and though he had had as much control over his actions as Barton had, the Midgardian was still tense around him. Loki could understand, anger was a hard thing to overcome, and forgiveness was hard to give. Loki knew this all to well.  
But he also knew that, if they stood even a chance against Hela, then they needed to all work together. It would be impossible to defeat her if their internal quarrels remained unsolved.  
And then there was Natasha. She and Barton were friends. She cared deeply for the man. However, it appeared that she was also beginning to care for Loki. He did not wish for her to be torn between the two of them.  
However, there was nothing Loki could do.  
Loki had just finished making the coffee when Steve came into the kitchen.  
"Morning Loki." He said, walking to the cupboards.  
Steve was always the one to make breakfast. It was surprising, to learn how well the Captain cooked. However, Loki was not complaining. The two made a great team in the kitchen.  
"Good morning Steve." Loki replied. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Yeah." Steve replied, organising the equipment for fruit pancakes. "How about you?"  
"Fine." Loki replied. "Your coffee is just here on the counter."  
Steve smiled.  
"Thanks."  
Tony then entered the kitchen, yawning.  
"Morning."  
Loki walked over to him and hand over his coffee.  
`Thanks." Tony said, smiling and taking a large gulp of his coffee.  
Loki was thankful he had learnt to use some of his frost-giant magic to slightly cool down Tony's coffee, so it was still hot but not enough to burn the man's throat. The Midgardian was not a morning person. Maybe because he never got enough sleep, something that Steve was constantly lecturing him about.  
Next in the kitchen was Thor.  
"Good morning brother!" He boomed.  
"Good morning Thor." Loki said as he handed Thor his coffee.  
Thor took it gratefully and sat at the table next to Tony.  
"Steve, what are you cooking this morning?" Thor asked.  
"Fruit pancakes." Steve replied.  
"Wonderful." Thor replied.  
Next in were Barton and Natasha.  
"Hey Clint, you going to try some of Loki's coffee?" Tony asked.  
Barton only shook his head and sat at the table.   
Loki sighed. Barton did not even trust him enough to enjoy some of his coffee.  
Natasha took her cup gratefully and sat next to Barton.  
"It's a real shame." She said casually. "It's really good Clint."  
Barton only shrugged.  
"I'm good." He said.  
Finally, Bruce came into the kitchen. Loki gave him is tea.  
"Thanks." He said, smiling.  
"My pleasure." Loki replied.  
He put Steve's coffee and his own cup of tea at their usual places. He liked to alternate between coffee and tea. He found coffee stimulating, but found tea calming. Plus, the latter reminded him of his Mother.  
He assisted Steve in serving breakfast and sat down. The conversation was casual enough.  
"So, what you guys doing today?" Tony asked him and Thor.  
Loki shrugged.  
"Most likely trying to teach Thor control, again."  
"I know how to control my power." Thor argued.  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
"No, you know how to throw lightning everywhere. You need to learn accuracy, and you need to learn how to control the intensity of the bolts. Plus, you still need to regain your power of summoning actual storms instead of throwing around electric shocks."  
Thor snorted.  
"I'm working on it. But my electric shocks work perfectly well."  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
"Yes, I am aware. And so is the local forest..."  
He could then see lightning sparking between his brother's fingers.  
"Okay, calm down." Steve interjected, also seeing the danger.  
Thor calmed, and Loki shot the Captain a grateful smile.  
"Awww." Tony said. "Come on Cap, it's so fun when they fight."  
"Is it as fun as your tower getting blown up?" Natasha asked.  
"Good point. On second thought, good job Capsicle."  
They all laughed.  
Suddenly, there was a loud booming sound.  
"Thor?" Bruce asked nervously.  
Thor shook his head.  
"I did not do that."  
There was a buzzing sound and Natasha pulled out her communication device.  
"Hello? Yeah, okay."  
She put it away.  
"That was Furry." She explained. "That booming sound was a portal opening in the middle of the city."  
"Great." Tony said, getting up. "A portal opening in the middle of New York. That never leads to bad stuff."  
"We don't have time to be sarcastic." Steve said as they all stood. "We need to get ready, now."  
"If you would allow me," Loki began. "I could use my magic to help you get changed in a matter of seconds."  
All accept Barton nodded.  
"Come on Clint." Natasha urged. "We need to fight whatever comes out of that portal as soon as possible."  
"Yeah, odds are Hela's behind this." Tony added.  
After some more coxing, Barton finally agreed. Loki's green magic surrounding all of them, except for Bruce, before dissipating to reveal them all dressed in their uniforms and armour.  
"Come on." Captain America said, hoisting his shield.  
They all left for the quin-jet so they could get to where the portal was.

As soon as the quin-jet landed, the avengers and Loki departed to find that the authorities had thankfully cleared the area of civilians. However, there was still the matter of what had come from the portal.  
Several hundred horrifying beings now stood before them. They looked like rotting corpses, with green flames burning in what should be their eye-sockets. Loki had a bad feeling about these creatures.  
"What the hell?" He heard Ironman mutter.  
Loki could sense the dark magic coming from them. He sucked in a deep and nervous breath.  
"I believe these things were sent by Hela." He began.  
"Yeah, but what are they?" Hawkeye asked.  
"Draugar." Loki replied, trying to hide the fear in his voice.  
Thor let out an excited laugh, and Loki thought that his brother was insane.  
"This shall be exciting!" Thor boom, lightning beginning to gather in his fingers.  
"No, it will not." Loki argued. "Draugar are very dangerous Thor."  
"Yes, exactly." Thor replied. "Sif and the warriors three shall be envious."  
Loki had to resist the urge to face-palm.  
"Hey, errr, what are Draugar?" Ironman asked.  
"They are reanimated corpses." Loki replied. "They are very fast and strong, and can only be destroyed by either fire or having their heads destroyed. Aim for the brain, in particular."  
"Right." Captain America said.  
They then began to fight the Draugar.

Loki became lost in the mayhem. There were hundreds of the draugar, and only seven of them. He could hear Ironman blasting them from high above, Hawkeye shoot explosive arrows, Black Widow firing her guns, and Thor shooting lightning. He attempted to ignore the constant roaring of the hulk, as every time he heard it he was reminded of how the beast had smashed him around like a ragdoll.  
A draugar charged at him. He side stepped and threw a conjured dagger at it's head. The blade hit it's mark, and the draugar fell to the ground to join the many others he had already taken care of.  
More and more attacked him, and they all had similar fates. He managed to sidestep most of them, but a few to in some hits. They didn't have weapons, but they were extremely strong. He was soon battered and bruised, but at least nothing seemed broken.  
Soon, he managed to reach the portal. It did not seem that any more draugar were coming out, but he did not wish to risk anything more coming out. So he summoned his magic and proceeded to close the portal. It was hard, but he wasn't the most powerful sorcerer in the Nine Realms for nothing.  
Soon, the portal was closed. Now there would be no more surprises, hopefully.  
As the ranks of the draugar seemed to thin, he found himself close to Hawkeye, though the man's back was to him. Hawkeye was busy aiming at a large cluster of draugar. Too busy, as he did not notice the draugar sneaking up behind him.  
"Watch out!" Loki shouted, jumping towards the draugar.  
He tackled the creature and they rolled on the ground. He felt a hand clasp around his throat, but he did not stop. As the air was choked out of him, he thrust a dagger into the monsters head.  
It fell limp, and the head fell from his neck. He collapsed on top of it, gasping.  
"What the hell?"  
He looked up to see Hawkeye staring at him in disbelief.  
"Why did you do that?" The man demanded.  
"I... Needed to... Help you." He gasped. "That thing... Was going... To snap... Your neck..."  
"Yeah, but why did you save me?" Hawkeye asked.  
Loki glared at him.  
"Because we're supposed to be allies, you idiot."  
Hawkeye blinked, but remained silent.  
Loki looked around. Thor and the Hulk had just taken out the last of the draugar. His brother was grinning like an idiot.  
"That was incredible!" He boomed. "I cannot believe I actually got to face draugar!"  
Loki got up and walked to his brother.  
"Thor, you are an idiot." He said, his voice still a little horse.  
Thor frowned.  
"Brother, are you alright."  
"Oh, I'm fine." Loki replied sarcastically. "I was only just almost choked to death by a draugar."  
Thor blinked.  
"How?"  
Hawkeye head them.  
"He jumped on one that was trying to get the jump on me." The Midgardian replied.  
Thor frowned in confusion. But then his face split into a wide grin.  
"Well, I suppose you can end this quarrel you have with my brother," He began. "For he has proven himself by saving your life."  
Hawkeye stared at Loki for a long time. Then, he finally spoke.  
"Yeah, maybe." He replied.  
The rest of the team gathered around them, out of breath. Bruce was adjusting his trousers after turning back from the Hulk.  
"Well, that was fun," Ironman said. "I mean, it is not everyday you get to fight Norse zombies."  
"Yes, I agree!" Thor boomed. "This will truly be a tale to tell. Draugar are a truly horrible foe."  
Loki frowned.  
"Hey, is there something wrong?" Captain America asked.  
Loki shook his head.  
"It just seems strange." He said. "That was far too easy."  
"Easy?" Hawkeye said incredulously.  
Loki nodded.  
"There has to be more to this." He continued. "Hela must be up to something, I just do not know what."  
"Let's think about it at the tower." Captain America suggested.  
They all nodded and proceeded to walk back to the quin-jet.

For the first time in a very, very long time, Hela felt the familiar feeling of bloodlust. It was like a haze that clouded her mind. Anyone who tried to hold a blade against her was quickly cut down.  
Blood soon stained the snow red, and Hela reveled in it. With every stab, every thrust, every wound she inflicted, every Asgardian life she took, she felt a thrill of excitement go through her. It coursed through her veins, flowed through her lungs like the air she breathed.  
She cut through warrior after warrior, showing no mercy. Whomever she did not kill, Fenris quickly devoured. These people deserved no mercy. They had shown her and her son no mercy. They had been cruel to Loki, mocked him, shunned him, and now they would pay the price.  
She knew that Freya and the rest of their forces were also fighting, but she felt that she was taking the majority of the lives.  
She was retribution, she was vengeance. She was the Goddess of Death. She shall reap every last Asgardian who stood in her way, until she reached Odin. She shall create a river of Asgardian blood, and Odin shall watch as his kingdom falls.  
This was only the first of many battles. She looked forward to many more.  
She had just struck down another warrior without much effort. She was just passing a house, when, suddenly, the door of the house opened.  
A woman attempted to ambush her with a kitchen knife of all things. Hela quickly knocked her aside.  
The woman rolled to where the last warrior she had killed lay, and grabbed his sword with trembling hands.  
"You... You killed my husband." She said, attempting to sound strong.  
Hela smirked.  
"He was in my way."  
The woman hefted the sword.  
"You will pay, she-devil."  
Hela's smirk widened.  
"Oh, really?"  
The woman was better than Hela had expected, even if she seemed to move strangely, as if every movement caused her pain. Even if she had not been suffering from such an affliction, she was no match for her. Hela quickly disarmed her.  
"I must admit, you are a strong one." Hela remarked. "You could always join me."  
The woman spat at her feet.  
"Oh well." Hela said before cutting off the woman's head.  
As the head rolled, Hela kicked aside the body. She was about to leave, when she heard a noise that caused the haze of bloodlust to fade.  
She walked into the house and followed the noise into a small room. In this room, there was a small cot. And in that cot... Was a baby.  
Hela walked quietly to the cot and picked the babe up in her arms gently. She cradled him to her armoured and bloodstained chest.  
That this why the woman fought so fiercely.  
She thought.  
She was protecting her child.  
She looked down at the babe. He still had some lingering fluids staining his hair and skin. He must have been only newly born.  
That that was why the woman had moved so awkwardly. She had just given birth.   
So small, so fragile.  
Just as Loki had been.  
She had just robbed an innocent child of his parents. What would happen to him now?  
An unfamiliar feeling pierced her heart like a sharp knife. Was this feeling guilt, regret?  
The child began to cry. On instinct, she stroked his head where a tuft of dark hair sat.  
Just like Loki.  
This child was now alone in this world.  
Just like herself. Just like Loki.  
Had she just doomed this child to the same fate as Loki and herself? To live, without the love of a parent? What would become of this boy?  
The child's cries became louder. Hela gently hushed him.  
"Shhh, shhh." She said. "Do not worry, I will not hurt you."  
Eventually, the child quietened and fell asleep.  
As Hela left the small house, she continued to gently rock the child in her arms. When she met with Freya after the battle, the Vanir Queen stared at her and the child.  
"What is this?" Freya asked.  
Hela looked down at the child sadly.  
"I killed his parents." She explained quietly. "I am now responsible for him."  
Freya glanced from Hela, to the babe, and back to Hela. She then smiled.  
"I was not aware that you could be so gentle." She said.  
Hela grinned.  
"I may be the Goddess of Death, but I am also a mother. I could not let another child suffer as my son has."  
Freya nodded.  
"Very well."  
She looked around the ruins of the colony.  
"We have freed Vanaheim from the tyranny of Asgard." She began. "Or at least we have begun. Asgard will be back."  
"And we will be ready for them." Hela replied.  
Freya smiled.  
"The next step is Alfheim."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Have you been in contact with them."  
Freya grinned.  
"My twin brother Frey is the consort to Queen Elsa." She explained. "He to, wishes to be free of Asgard."  
Hela nodded.  
"Very well."  
Freya smiled. Then, she looked down at the babe in Hela's arms again.  
"Does he have a name?"  
Hela also glanced down at the child. Forever marked, forever scared. Though he did not know it yet, this event will mark him for the rest of his days.  
He was born during a battle which marked the beginning of a war. A war that had begun for revenge. He would forever be marked by the fires of vengeance. Hela could see this.  
"Vidar." She says softly. "His name, is Vidar. Child, born of the fires of vengeance."  
"Vidar." Freya said in a whisper of a voice, reaching out to stroke the newly named boy's face.  
"I can see it." The vanir woman said. "He shall be known as the God of Vengeance. He shall be mighty, and bring with him retribution."  
Hela grinned and nodded.  
"Come, let us clean up this mess." She said, gesturing around them. "And then, we can prepare for Alfheim."


	8. More secrets uncovered.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a God of Mischief and Lies, Loki really doesn't like it when people keep secrets for him.

Chapter 8:

Hela had just returned to the cold realm of Jotunheim. Vidar was still cradled to her chest. She was hoping to get some rest after the battle, and to have the healers examine the child. However, just as she reached the gates, she was stopped by a guard.  
"Your Majesty." The guard began. "There is someone here requesting an audience."  
Hela sighed.  
"Very well. First, I wish for the healers to examine this child."  
The guard looked at Vidar uncertainly.  
"Your Majesty, is that..."  
"This," Hela began. "Is my new ward. Any harm comes to him, and there will be a price to pay in blood."  
The guard shuddered.  
"Have my visitor escorted to my private study while I take my ward to the healers." She continued.  
"O of course." The frost-giant stuttered before barking orders at some more guards.  
Hela walked past the gates and headed straight towards the healers. After a few more threats of retribution if Vidar was harmed in any way, she left the babe in their capable hands to see who exactly was requesting an audience.  
As soon as she saw who was standing near the fire, she sneered in distaste.  
"Well, what do we have here?" She began.  
The woman turned to her.  
"I came here to speak with you." She began.  
"Why?" Hela asked.  
"I have heard rumours." The woman began. "You intend to destroy Odin, the king of Asgard."  
Hela nodded.  
"What of it?"  
"And after you are finished with him," The woman continued. "You intend to go after the Mad Titan himself."  
Hela again nodded.  
"Let me guess, you have come to dissuade me from this." She said. "I am afraid you have wasted a trip."  
"Actually," The woman retorted. "I have come to help you."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Help me?" She inquired. "I know perfectly well who you are. You are one of his "Children", are you not?"  
The woman clenched her fists.  
"He has caused me more pain then you could possibly imagine." She spat. "I want nothing more then to destroy him, slowly and painful. No matter what it takes."  
Hela gazed into the woman's eyes. In them, she recognised an all too familiar fire. The fire of someone who had been wronged beyond all doubt. A fire that was often in her own eyes.  
"How can you help me?" She asked.  
"I know where he is." The woman replied. "I know his basis, and know the strength of his followers."  
Hela studied her.  
"You are strong." She said gently. "I can see it. You are a fighter, a surviver."  
A smile crept upon her face.  
"Very well. But betray me, and I will kill you."  
The woman nodded. In the firelight, Hela could see the damage done to this woman. The many cybernetics that had replaced much of her natural body. No doubt at the fault of Thanos.  
"Where do we begin?" The woman asked.  
Hela grinned. She could sense that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The journey back to the tower was silent. The mortal avengers were still in shock from seeing an army of the dead, Thor was grinning like an idiot, still excited that he was able to fight actual draugar, and Loki was lost in thought.  
Why? Why make it so easy? Surely this wouldn't have been Hela's plan of destroying the avengers?  
He knew that she at least wanted him alive, and she may not take much stock in midgardians, but she would have at least recognised that Thor was a greater threat. And further more, where had she been during the battle?  
Loki feared that this had only been a distraction.  
His fears were confirmed when they had reached the tower. Just as the quin-jet landed, he saw four figures standing on the roof. Loki suppressed a groan, while Thor's idiot grin only widened.  
"My friends!" He boomed, jumping from the jet, his arms wide. "It has been so long. How do you fare? And what brings you to Midgard?"  
Lady Sif and the warriors three did not return Thor's smile, they all remained Grimm faced. Well, Hogun was always Grimm faced, but now the expression was shared by all. Hogun himself actually looked grimmer than ever, and even sorrowful.  
"I am afraid we have not come here for a casual visit." Sif replied. "The Allfather has demanded we bring Loki to Asgard, immediately."  
Thor's smile instantly vanished. The larger man stepped closer to Loki.  
"Why has my Father requested such a thing?"  
The Warriors Three remained silent. Sif glared at Loki, then her gaze flicked back to Thor.  
"He wishes to ensure he is not a danger." She replied.  
"A danger?" Thor demanded. "Why?"  
Sif sneered.  
"The Allfather fears he will betray you for Hela."  
The brothers were stunned.  
"You know of Hela?" Thor asked.  
Hogun's expression darkened, even more, and his fists clenched.  
"Oh, we know of her." He growled. "First she allied herself with Jotunheim, and now she has taken Vanaheim."  
Hogun's expression now made sense. He was of the Vanir, after all. But all Loki could think of was that Vanaheim had fallen.  
"She has taken Jotunheim, and Vanaheim?" Thor asked.  
Fandral nodded.  
"The frost-giants have declared her Queen Regent."  
Sif continued to glare at Loki.  
"As if she is expecting someone else to take the throne." She sneered.  
Loki clenched his fists. He was not in the mood to deal with Sif.  
Vanaheim. Out of all of the realms to attack first... The realm of his Mother, the realm of his Sigyn... It felt as if Hela had struck him a personal blow. Vanaheim was one of the only places he had been even somewhat accepted, one of the only places he had felt at home.  
He remembered the forests, the streams, the pure magic in the air. He remembered lunches in the gardens with his Mother, Sigyn, and occasionally Queen Freya and her cats.  
Oh, Freya. What had become of the woman?  
"What of Queen Freya?" Loki asked. "Does she still live?"  
All four frowns deepened.  
"Freya allied herself with Hela." Sif replied. "They say they both attacked the colony with a combined force of frost-giants and Vanir spell-casters."  
"Only the children, and those who could not fight, survived." Hogun added. "They say the frost-giants caused it to snow, and that the snow was soon stained red. They say that she ran through the streets like the monster from your darkest nightmares. Weapons flew from her hands as if they had manifested from her own body. She slaughtered countless warriors, without hesitation and without mercy. She was like a demon, taking lives as she pleased."  
Loki could feel his stomach lurch. So this was why Hela had sent the Draugar, so she could destroy the hold Asgard had on Vanaheim. But why? Why had Freya allied herself with Hela?  
Sif's glare flicked back to Loki.  
"And that is why we must take him back to Asgard." She said.  
"Hey, hey, hold it."  
Steve stepped in front of Loki, his arms spread out as if to shield him.  
"Loki has been here all morning, helping us protect this city from errr... What were they called again?"  
"Draugar." Loki whispered.  
"Yes, thanks." He whispered back, smiling appreciatively. "He helped us defeat an army of Draugar, and even closed the portal."  
"He even tackled one that was about to sneak up on me." Barton added.  
Fandral and Volstagg were now staring at the avengers in amazement, and a little excitement.  
"You got to fight Draugar?" Volstagg asked Thor.  
Thor smiled excitedly.  
"Yes, it was an incredible battle."  
"I do not believe it." Fandral said. "I am so envious. Actual Draugar."  
Sif scoffed.  
"How could you have possibly defeated an entire army of Draugar, with no hammer and only midgardians?"  
She through a sneer towards Loki.  
"And of course with him."  
Loki scowled.  
"Do not underestimate these midgardians Sif." He said, calmer than he felt. "They are quite a force to be reckoned with."  
His gaze flicked to Natasha.  
"And I believe some of them could even defeat you in single-combat."  
Sif scoffed, but Thor nodded.  
"Yes, and any case," The thunderer continued. "Loki is a powerful sorcerer, you know this. Just because he does not fight as you do Sif, does not mean that he is not a great asset in battle. He has even been teaching me to use my power without Mjolnir.  
Sif's eyes widened, and her gaze flicked between the two brothers.  
"He has been teaching you magic?" She asked.  
"Yes." Thor replied.  
"B but..." She spluttered in surprise. "Magic is a..."  
"What, a woman's art?" Loki asked dryly. "If the only ones who should use magic are women, then the only ones who should be warriors should be men."  
"Why you..."  
Sif stepped forward, as if to attack Loki, but Thor stepped between them. Steve made to stand next to Thor, but Loki stopped him.  
"Best not get between the two of them." He hissed.  
"Sif, leave my brother be." Thor said. "He has as much right to be a sorcerer as you do to be a warrior."  
Sif seemed to calm down, and her gaze softened as she looked at Thor.  
"My apologies Thor." She said. "It is just... You know that Loki and I have never gotten along."  
Thor nodded.  
"I am aware, but could you please at least try to act civil. We must remember who the true enemy here is."  
Sif cleared her throat.  
"Yes, there is still the matter of the Allfather's command."  
Steve stepped forward to stand next to Thor.  
"If you want him, then you will have to get through me." He said.  
"And I." Thor added.  
"And me." Tony said, walking over to stand beside the two blonds. "Like I'm going to lose my magic-buddy. We haven't built that Lightsabre with our combined science-magic yet."  
Natasha also stepped forward. She did not speak, but the look she sent Loki told him everything.  
Bruce and surprisingly Barton also stepped forward.  
"From what we've heard, Loki's pretty messed up." Barton began. "And from the sounds of it, it looks like Odin's got a lot to do with it."  
Sif and the Warriors Three stared in disbelief at the gathering of people willing to stand for Loki.  
Loki was also amazed. He knew that he had become closer to the team, but he had not expected them to defend him. Even Barton was standing for him. He had never had so many people in his support. The emotions were almost overwhelming. The last person who had defended him in such a way had been... Sigyn.  
An idea burst into his mind. He stepped forward, pushing aside the human wall that had been formed.  
"I can help." He said. "Let me go to Vanaheim, Freya knows me. The two of us have a good past. Let me persuade her away from this path. And if not that, at least let me figure out why she has sided with Hela."  
Sif scowled.  
"Why should we trust you will do as you say?" She sneered.  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"I swear it on the spirit of my Mother, Frigga, the Queen of Asgard and a lady of Vanaheim."  
Sif was silent for a long time. She exchanged a look with the Warriors Three. They all nodded. She turned back to Loki.  
"Fine." She spat. "But betray your word, and..."  
"You'll kill me?" Loki finished.  
Sif scowled, but did not comment. She instead turned her face to the sky.  
"Heimdal!"  
And in a flash of rainbow light, the four asgardians were gone, leaving the seven avengers on the roof.  
They were all silent, before Tony let out a breath.  
"Okay, what was that?" He asked.  
"That was Lady Sif and the Warriors Three." Loki replied. "Thor's friends from Asgard."  
"Oh, so that was Sif?" Tony asked. He turned to Thor. "Got to admit Point-Break, I can't see why you like her so much. Yeah, she's hot and all, but her attitude..."  
Thor cleared his throat.  
"Sif is a mighty warrior, and a good friend."  
"Yeah, sure." Tony replied. "A "friend"."  
"How do you mean?"  
"Well, I've heard you talk about her. And by the sounds of it, there's a little more than just friendship going on."  
Loki cleared his throat.  
"Regardless of the relationship between Thor and Sif, I must now go to Vanaheim."  
He walked towards the lift, intending to go down to his room to get changed into something a little more suited for a diplomatic mission. Natasha silently followed him. She did not speak until they were in the lift.  
"Are you okay?" She asked. "You look a little tense."  
Loki clenched his fists.  
"Vanaheim was my Mother's home ream." He began. "It was where I met... Her. The majority of my pleasant childhood memories come from that realm."  
He shook his head.  
"Freya was her mother, and to hear that she has allied with Hela, that Hela has brought war to that realm..."  
"It feels like she's just made it personal." Natasha guessed.  
Loki nodded. They finally reached his and Thor's floor.  
"I need to know," He began as he headed towards his room. "Why has this happened? Why has Freya done such a thing?"  
Natasha followed him.  
"Do you want me to..."  
Loki shook his head.  
"No, I need to do this alone." He replied.  
"Okay, if your sure."  
Loki nodded.  
He went into his room, Natasha waiting outside his door for him.  
By the time he was changed, Barton had come to join her.  
"Hello Barton." He greeted.  
"Hey, what's with the last name stuff?" Barton asked.  
Loki blinked.  
"Why...?"  
"Look, Loki I..." The archer sucked in a breath. "I know that you weren't in complete control at the time, but a part of me still doesn't like you for what you did to my mind."  
Loki nodded.  
"Understandable."  
"But," He continued. "After what you did during the fight with the Draugar, after you tackled that thing... I just... Thanks."  
Loki blinked.  
"You're welcome?"  
"And well..." Barton continued. "Can we just try to err... Start over?"  
Loki took a few seconds to process this, then, he smiled.  
"Alright then, Clint." He replied.  
Clint smiled hesitantly in return. Natasha's grin spread across her face.  
"You see Clint, that wasn't so hard, was it?"  
Clint shoved her playfully. All three laughed, even Loki, who was still feeling the pain of Hela's attack on Vanaheim.  
"I must be leaving now." He said.  
Both assassins nodded.  
"Okay." Clint began, before leaning closer to Loki. "But first, tell me, what's really going on between Thor and that Lady friend of his?"  
Loki smirked.  
"Sif has been in love with him for centuries." He replied. "Thor has feelings for her, but he's too much of an idiot to see it."  
The archer chuckled.  
"Oh, I need to tell Tony. This is just great."  
And with that, he quickly climbed into the air vents and disappeared.  
"Does he do that often?" Loki asked.  
Natasha shrugged.  
"He practically lives in there."  
They both chuckled, before Loki cleared his throat.  
"I must be leaving now."  
Natasha nodded.  
"Good luck."  
Loki nodded.  
"Thank you. I feel as if I shall need it."

It had been a long time since he had been to Vanaheim. So much had changed, and yet, this realm looked no different.  
Looking around, he could see the same trees, the same fields, the same sun. It did not feel as if a war had come to the realm.  
But he of all people knew that looks could be deceiving.  
Looking at the people, he could tell they were different. He had half expected them to at least look frightened, haunted, even. Instead, they were all smiling, singing dancing... They were happy.  
He snuck past the guards, into the familiar halls of the palace. He remembered running through them with Sigyn, so happy, so free...  
He walked down the familiar corridors into Freya's personal chambers. He remembered sitting in Freya's private study with his Mother, Sigyn and the Vanir Queen. Often the older women would tell them stories, and he and Sigyn would show them all the magic they had learnt that day.  
Now, only Freya sat in a chair by the fire. A goblet of wine was in her hand, and her cats were at her feet. A smile was on her face.  
He stepped out of the shadows and cleared his throat to announce his presence.  
The queen looked up, momentarily surprised. However, her smile soon returned.  
"Loki, I might have known. Not many people can sneak up on me."  
She gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the fire.  
"Please, come and sit."  
Loki took the offered chair, but refused the wine she offered him.  
"I am surprised to see you." She began. "I have heard you were banished to Midgard."  
Loki nodded.  
"Yes, Odin decided to alter my sentence, after my actions during the convergence."  
They both stared into the fire, obviously both remembering certain events from the convergence.  
"I was deeply saddened to hear of Frigga's death." Freya began. "We all were. She was a good woman."  
Loki nodded.  
"Too good for Odin, and all of Asgard, really."  
Freya nodded.  
"Her pier should have been lit in Vanaheim, her home. Non of us were even allowed to come to her funeral. We had to hold one here, without a body."  
"I wasn't even allowed to any funeral." Loki said quietly. "I had to grieve in my cell, alone."  
Freya lent forward and grasped his hand.  
"She lives on through us." She said. "She never stopped loving you Loki, even after..."  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"I know."  
His gaze flicked back to Freya, and he let go of her hand.  
"She married Odin, so that Asgard and Vanaheim could live in peace." He began. "So I find it strange, that you would throw her sacrifice away so easily. It could almost be an insult to her memory."  
Freya's jaw tightened.  
"Is that why you are here?"  
Loki nodded.  
"Why? Why have you sided with Hela, and brought war to your realm?"  
Freya sighed.  
"It would have happened anyway."  
"But why?"  
Freya clenched her fist.  
"Odin and the realm of Asgard have dominated over the rest of us for too long." She began. "You know this. You know the arrogance of the Asgardians, how they believe themselves superior to all others."  
She began to stroke one of her cats.  
"I wished to free my people from their tyranny. Surely, on your way here, you saw how much more cheerful my people are, now that we are free."  
Loki studied the woman for a long time.  
"You have brought war to your realm." He began. "Surely you know that Asgard will retaliate?"  
Freya smirked.  
"They will be too busy dealing with the other realms."  
"Other realms?" Loki asked in surprise.  
Freya's smirk widened.  
"Surely you did not think my realm was the only one feeling suppressed by Asgard?" She asked. "Even as we speak, Hela plans to assist my brother in freeing Alfheim."  
Loki stared at the woman he had known for centuries.  
"Odin may have been a cruel father, and a horrible tyrant," He began. "But there is one valuable lesson he gave me. A wise leader, never seeks out war..."  
"But they must always be ready for it." Freya finished. "I know these words all too well. Frigga is the one who taught them to him."  
Loki studied Freya for a long time. There was something in her eyes. Something that told him there was more to her reasoning. Finally, he realised something.  
"Vanaheim is not the only reason why you have sided with Hela and her desires for revenge." He said in realisation.  
Freya nodded.  
"Do not tell me that you have began this war for... For her." He continued. "Do you honestly think that Sigyn would have wanted this?"  
Freya tightened the grip on her goblet.  
"No, of course not." She replied darkly. "My Sigyn was a good, and kind young woman. And yet, Odin banished her."  
Her gaze flicked back to the fire. Then, her eyes returned to looking into Loki's, and there was a new fire within their depths.  
"Of course, you do not know the whole truth of her banishment."  
"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked. "I am aware of why Odin banished her. He wished to cover up rumours."  
Freya scoffed.  
"And let me guess, Odin told you this? Loki, you and I both know that you are far too intelligent to believe his lies."  
"How do you mean?" Loki asked.  
Freya sucked in a breath.  
"I am sorry I did not tell you this sooner." She began. "But Odin forbad anyone from telling you, and back then I feared his wrath. Now, I am less willing to keep secrets from you that you must know."  
Loki lent in closer.  
"What?"  
Freya's eyes met his.  
"Sigyn was banished, because she was with child."  
The statement hit him like a wall of bricks. It couldn't be...  
Freya continued.  
"At first Odin demanded she cast the child out, but she refused. She would not destroy something the two of you made. And so, Odin banished her. He claimed that it was to cover up the scandal of a bastard being born from two underage members of hour houses, but we all knew the true reason. He did not wish to tarnish his own reputation."  
Loki was beginning to think he should have accepted that wine. The words kept echoing in his mind.  
With child. Sigyn had been... With child. His child.  
Freya continued.  
"I am doing this, because of her." She said. "Once we take down Odin, I hope to find out if he knows of where she is. If anyone knows the location of Sigyn, it is him."  
"And what if he doesn't." Loki asked.  
"Then I shall force him to help me find her, and the child." Freya replied.  
"And if... If they are dead?"  
Freya's expression darkened.  
"Then I will avenge them."  
She stared into Loki's eyes. As he stared at the Vanir Queen, he did not see the woman before him, but the daughter that so strongly resembled her. The girl he had loved.  
"Join us Loki." Freya said softly. "If you ever loved Sigyn, then you will help me find her."  
She grasped his hand.  
"I know of your loyalty to Thor. I assure you, I will try my hardest to convince Hela to spare him. He is Frigga's child, just as much as you are. I am bound by blood and her memory to protect him."  
Loki pulled away. He stood up.  
"You would use my love for Sigyn against me." He said. "You only reveal the truth to me when it suits your desires. I used to respect you, and yet you are no better than Odin, or Hela."  
He turned to leave.  
"My loyalty is not with any of you." He continued. "My loyalty is with Thor, and the friends I have made on Midgard, and... And to my Mother and Sigyn."  
"But is Hela not your Mother?"  
He turned back to glare at Freya.  
"She is not." He replied coldly.  
And with those final words, he vanished back to Midgard.

As soon as he returned, Loki collapsed onto his bed. He could hardly think, the words of his and Freya's conversation still echoing in his mind.  
With child. Sigyn had been, with child.  
They had been intimate many times. He had been her first, and she his. They had come together in the darkness of night, loved each other more than they had ever loved anyone. Their love had been like a burning fire, so passionate, so pure, so bright.  
And yet, Loki never thought, he had never considered the possibility that their little rendezvous could have resulted in something more.  
With child.  
But surely Sigyn would have told him if she was. They were always honest with each other.  
A flash of memory appeared in his mind.

He was sitting by the river that flowed near the palace of Vanaheim. He lay, his head in the lap of the woman he loved. Sigyn was playing with his hair gently, combing her fingers through it.  
"It is a beautiful day." She mused, looking out to the water.  
Loki hummed in agreement.  
"Almost as beautiful as you."  
Sigyn shoved him playful.  
"Loki Odinson, one of these days that silver tongue of yours is going to get you into trouble."  
Loki chuckled.  
"Darling, I am the God of Mischief. Part of that is getting into trouble. But another part of it is getting out of trouble, and a silver tongue can do just that."  
They both laughed.  
Suddenly, they both heard rustling in the bushes. Loki sat up, startled.  
"What was that?" Sigyn asked.  
Loki got to his feet and approached the bushes cautiously. He knelt into the bushes, and found a little creature within them. When next he stood, a small infant snake was curled around his arm.  
"Look." He said, extending the arm with the snake to Sigyn.  
Sigyn at first flinched, but then seemed to calm down. She extended a hand and stroked the snake. The snake flicked out it's forked tongue.  
"It likes you." He said, smiling.  
Sigyn smiled. Loki sat down next to her, and they both admired the snake.  
"What are you going to do with him?" She asked.  
"I do not know." He replied. "Perhaps I will take him back to Asgard."  
Sigyn chuckled.  
"A snake is the perfect pet for you."  
Loki also chuckled.  
"I cannot leave him in the world alone." He argued. "It is only a baby. Predators will devour him before he has a chance to grow."  
Sigyn sighed and looked off into the distance.  
"Are you alright?" He asked.  
Sigyn nodded absently.  
"Just, thinking." She began.  
Her gaze flicked to him.  
"You are a good person Loki." She began. "Even if not many see it."  
Loki smiled.  
"I am only this way because of you." He said. "You are the light of my life."  
Sigyn smiled. She laced her fingers in his.  
"I wish this moment could never end." She said. "You, and me, together."  
"We will be together forever." Loki said quickly. "It is you and I, against the universe."  
Sigyn smiled sadly.  
"Never say forever."  
Loki frowned.  
"Why, what is going on?" He asked.  
Sigyn sighed.  
"I... Well... I must tell you something."  
"What?"  
Before Sigyn could reply, she was interrupted.  
"Prince Loki."  
They both turned to see a guard had arrived.  
"Yes?" Loki asked, slightly annoyed.  
"The Allfather has requested you return to Asgard, immediately."  
Loki sighed. A request from the Allfather was more of a demand than anything else. He glanced back to Sigyn.  
"Next time, I suppose?"  
Sigyn nodded.  
"I suppose."  
And with one final kiss, Loki stood up and followed the guard back to Asgard.

He remembered the following events all too well. That had been the last time he had ever seen Sigyn. A mere day after, Odin informed him that she had been banished, due to the rumours that had been spreading concerning the two of them. Odin had said it was for their own good, but Loki could not stop his feelings.  
He had locked himself in his chambers for weeks, his food being delivered to him by his Mother. She had tried to help him, but it was not enough.  
The only companion had been the snake they had found. And yet, not even he was enough.  
Loki had tried so many ways to find her. From tracking charms to his own Vanir mirror. Nothing worked.  
He had ended up throwing the mirror against the wall. It had shattered into small fragments, and he had cut himself numerous times while cleaning them up.  
Now, he walked to his desk and opened one of the draws. He drew from it the only remaining shard from that mirror. As he gazed upon it, thoughts echoed in his mind. His heart was at war with itself.  
He was loyal to Thor. He loved Thor.  
And yet, he also loved Sigyn. Even the thought of her brought tears to his eyes.  
With child. Sigyn had been... With his child. He had no doubts that child had been his. Sigyn was loyal beyond all reason. She would never have betrayed him.  
He clenched his fist around the shard. He could feel it breaking his skin, cutting into him and drawing blood, but he did not care.  
What should he do? Should he continue to answer to the man who had lied to him for so long, or should he... Should he betray Thor, one of the only people who still loved him, so he could join Freya and get some form of answer out of Odin? It was possible that the old fool knew of where Sigyn was, if she was even alive.  
He had to do something. He could have a child out there, lost, alone...  
He gazed into the fragment. He could only see his green eye. And yet, when he stared into the fragment, it was not his eye he saw.  
He sucked in a determined breath. He knew what he had to do. He would not do this for Hela, or Freya. He would do this, for her, and their possible child. He could only hope that his brother and the avengers would forgive him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have shifted the events of Gardians of the Galexy ahead a couple years. So now, it has been only about a month or so since the events of Gardians of the Galexy 2. I'm not sure if anyone else from those movies will be appearing in this story, but we'll see.


	9. Are these friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is trying to make a decision, but these pesky emotions just keep getting in the way. He hopes he made the right decision.

Chapter 9:

Hela did not think she had ever been so tired in her life. She had been on numerous war campaigns, thought in battles unnumbered, spent entire days just training, and yet, they had never made her so exhausted. Mainly because they did not randomly wake her in the middle of the night, depriving her of well needed sleep.  
Since she had taken Utgard and become Queen Regent of Jotunheim, she had been residing in Laufey's old chambers. She had of course had to order a smaller bed, that would also provide her with more warmth, but that was simple.  
She had placed Vidar in the nursery Laufey had constructed for Loki. She found it remarkable that he had kept it after their child had been believed lost, and it caused a strange, unusual pain in her chest.  
In any case, the only thing separating her from the babe was the main room where all the other rooms in her chambers led off from. This main room was also intended for more personal social visitors, more personal than those she would meet in her private study. She supposed it was intended for family meetings, but she was hardly going to have any of her family over for tea.  
She became quite acquainted with the main room, mostly due to her having to go through it from her room into Vidar's.  
For such a small child, he was extraordinarily loud. Even through the thick walls and doors, she could hear him clearly. At first, she had been thankful for this, as she would know if Vidar was in danger. But now...  
She had already been tired from the battle of Vanaheim. All she wanted was some sleep.  
But oh no, Vidar had other plans.  
She had been on the brink of sleep when she had first heard that shrill cry. She had immediately jumped up and summoned a sword to her hand. But when she had entered the nursery, she saw no attackers. Vidar was just in his cot, crying.  
She had been confused and had put the sword away. She had picked him up, trying to rock him gently. After that didn't work, she tried to think of why he could be crying.  
And then it hit her. The child had not been fed in... She wasn't even sure if he had been fed, actually.  
It wasn't as if she could feed him of her own breast, she had no milk to spare. A frost-giant wet nurse was out of the question. Vidar could easily freeze if he tried consuming something from a frost-giant's body.  
Eventually, she had had to contact Freya for advice via her Vanir mirror. Much to her embarrassment, the Vanir queen found this amusing. She had arrived through a portal, with a wide smirk on her face.  
"Not as easy as you thought." She had said smugly.  
If Freya had not been her ally, and if she wasn't holding a small infant, Hela would have stabbed her.  
Eventually, Freya taught her a very simple spell that even she could preform. As it turned out, due to the Vanir's gifts with fertility magic, they had a spell for helping in the production of breast milk. Freya had informed her that if she wanted to sustain a natural, healthy flow, she would have to reapply the spell approximately once a week. Hela had thanked her, before the Vanir queen left, still grinning. Hela finally put Vidar to bed again, completely fed and content.  
Hela was relieved to be returning to her own bed.  
Until only a few hours later, when she had heard the cry again.  
This time, Vidar had needed changing. She was determined not to ask Freya for assistance this time, even if it took her almost an hour to figure out how the blasted thing worked.  
She had thought that was the end of it, but no. The child had to be fed at least twice more, changed once, and Hela had had to fill a basin with water to wash her hair after he had been sick. She had rushed him to the healers after she had washed her hair, worried that the cold climate of Jotunheim was negatively affecting her ward.  
Only for the healers to inform her that a little spit up was expected when you were helping an infant rid of their leftover gas after a feeding.  
The sun was now rising above the horizon, and Hela felt as if she had not had any sleep. She had just finished changing Vidar again, and she thought that trying to get some sleep now was pointless. Soon, she would have to begin the day. She had to plan for her next attack against Asgard, she had to manage the affairs of Jotunheim, and she wished to get to know her new ally a little better.  
She was just walking into her sleeping-quarters, Vidar in her arms. She did not trust anyone with the child, so she was planning on keeping him with her at all times, excluding for when she was off leading a battle, of course. She was intending to get dressed for the day. However, there seemed to be a surprise visitor, standing by her window and looking at her with an unreadable expression.  
She tried to smile, but she suspected it came out as more of a smirk.  
"Well, this is a surprise." She said. "How did you manage to get in here, completely undetected?"  
The man raised an eyebrow.  
"I am the God of Mischief."  
Hela's smirk widened.  
"So Loki, what brings you here at such an early hour?"  
Loki did not answer her. Instead, his gaze flicked to the child in her arms.  
"Do I even want to know why there is a child in your arms?" He asked dryly.  
"His name is Vidar." She replied. "His parents died in the battle of Vanaheim."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Am I correct in assuming you killed his parents?"  
"Perhaps." She replied. "I found him alone in a house, cold, crying, suffering. He seemed to have only been born mere moments before. I could not just leave him there, so I..."  
"Adopted him?" Loki interrupted. "Well, as the Midgardians say, I suppose the apple does not fall far from the tree."  
"How do you mean?" Hela asked.  
Loki smirked.  
"For someone who claims to despise Odin so much, you are truly a lot like him."  
"I am not." She argued.  
"Oh really?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You attacked another realm out of your own ego, and took a newborn child as your own..."  
"This is not the same situation." She growled.  
"Tell me, will you raise Vidar to believe that Asgardians are a race of monsters, only to reveal that he is in fact Asgardian by blood?" Loki continued. "Will you push him into the shadows in favour of another? Will you try to force him to be someone he is not, and scorn him for not giving into social norms..."  
"No." She interrupted, startling Vidar.  
She quickly tried to hush the child. Loki chuckled at the scene.  
"This is amusing." He said. "The goddess of Death, trying to care for another life."  
"Why have you come here?" Hela demanded, becoming quite frustrated with her son.... Or, she guessed he was now her elder son.  
All amusement left him. His expression darkened, and his eyes narrowed.  
"I have spoken with Freya," He began. "To enquire as to why she would side with you."  
"And?" Hela asked.  
"And she has informed me of... Certain pieces of information which had been hidden from me." He continued.  
Hela grinned.  
"So, she has told you of why Odin banished..."  
"Yes." Loki replied.  
He stared at her with a level gaze.  
"I do not trust you." He finally said. "I trust you, and Freya, just as much as I trust Odin."  
"And yet you believe what Freya told you?" Hela asked gently.  
"After much thought." He replied.  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"I am not doing this for you, or Freya. I am doing this so I can at least try to not be as much of a failure of a parent as you or Odin." He said. "I could potentially have a child out there. And even if they would be in the middle of their adolescence by now, I still feel I must try to find them, to explain everything. And hopefully they, and Sigyn, will forgive me."  
"And if they are dead?"  
Loki clenched his fists.  
"Well, thanks to Odin's banishment I have somewhat become an Avenger." He grinned bitterly. "So I suppose I will avenge them."  
Hela smirked.  
"I new you would see it my way..."  
"Only one thing." Loki continued. "Thor, and the Midgardians known as the Avengers. They are not to be harmed."  
Hela frowned.  
"If they choose to stand in my way..."  
"You will spare them." He interrupted.  
Hela stepped forward, studying Loki.  
"Is this love Loki?" She asked gently.  
"Love is for children." He replied quickly. "I owe them a debt."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Truly?" She asked. "Tell me?"  
Loki walked around the bed towards her, his eyes never leaving her own.  
"Over a year ago, I attacked their world." He began. "I fought against them. And then, two months ago, Odin banished me to their mercy. They could have easily had me locked away, never to see the light of day. But they decided to give me another chance."  
The corners of his mouth twitched in a slight smile, but it was quickly hidden once again.  
"After we dealt with the army of draugar you had sent to distract us, Odin sent Asgardians to return me to Asgard, to my cell. Thor and the Avengers stood between them and I. Never before had I had such support from so many. Therefore, I owe them a debt of gratitude."  
Hela grinned.  
"And what will you do if I vow to spare them?"  
"I still won't trust you." He replied.  
"Oh, but I like this." She said, amusement on her face. "The Nine Realms in the balance and you beg for six individuals."  
"It is really not that complicated." Loki retorted calmly. "I have red in my ledger, and I hope that by helping them, I can wipe it out."  
"Can you?" Hela asked. "Can you wipe out so much red?"  
She stepped closer to him.  
"You killed eighty people in two days. You destroyed one of their major cities, killing countless more."  
She did not know why she was taunting Loki like this. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep making her temper worse than usual, maybe she still stung from his original rejection of her, or perhaps it was his earlier comparison of her to Odin. It did not matter.  
She reached out a hand towards him.  
"Do you honestly believe they actually trust you, after all you have done?" She asked gently. "Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you believe that you can be so easily forgiven?"  
Loki court her hand in midair.  
"The Avengers know things that you could not even begin to understand." He said.  
"Such as?" Hela asked.  
"Love, loyalty, kindness, mercy." He replied.  
"Love, loyalty, kindness, mercy." Hela repeated. "No, these are foreign concepts to me. But only because I was never shown them."  
She gazed into his eyes.  
"But perhaps you could show me." She continued.  
"What?" Loki asked her in surprise.  
"Show me, what power there is in love." Hela said.  
Loki chuckled.  
"Love is something that not even I can define accurately."  
Two sets of identical emerald eyes stared into each other.  
"I apologise if I seemed a little harsh before." She began.  
"It does not matter." Loki said, waving her away. "My desires are still the same. I did not come here expecting any form of motherly affection. This is a means to an end, nothing more."  
Hela nodded, though there was a smile on her face.  
"I was planning on organising the assault of Alfheim today." She began.  
"When will you be attacking the Asgardian colony on Alfheim?" He asked.  
"In approximately a week." She replied. "Depending on how quickly we can coordinate with Frey."  
Loki nodded.  
"And what of your defenses on Jotunheim and Vanaheim?"  
Hela chuckled.  
"Loki, do you honestly believe I will tell you that much?"  
Loki smirked.  
"Of course not." He replied.  
"And what of your plans?" Hela asked.  
"I will not be openly siding with you yet." He began.  
Hela nodded.  
"If you could keep an eye on the Avengers activities..."  
"I thought we agreed they would not be harmed."  
"Only if you keep them out of the main conflict." Hela replied. "Convince them that keeping Midgard safe should be their main priority."  
Loki nodded.  
"That should not be too difficult." He said. "But you will not be attacking Midgard, will you?"  
Hela shook her head.  
"It is relatively independent of Odin's influence. I will not attack them unless they become involved."  
Loki nodded.  
"I should leave before they notice my absence." He said.  
Hela nodded.  
"Thank you." She said gently. "It is truly wonderful that you..."  
"Remember, Hela, I am not doing this for you." He interrupted.  
"Of course." She said, before Loki disappeared in a flash of green light.  
She sighed and sat down on her bed. That was an intense confrontation, but at least Loki was now allied with her. Even if it was only for that Sigyn girl, it was still a start. Perhaps this was a step in the right direction.  
She was about to Nestle Vidar in her pillows, so she could get dressed, when the child suddenly began crying and a foul smell permeated the air.  
"Oh, dam it." She muttered.  
Vidar had to be changed, again. Honestly, Hela was beginning to think that war was easier than sons.

Loki returned to the tower just in time to see Steve preparing breakfast.  
"Hey Loki." The man greeted.  
"Good morning." Loki muttered, heading towards the kettle and coffee machine.  
"Are you okay?" Steve asked.  
"I am fine." Loki replied.  
"Okay." Steve said skeptically. "It's just you seem a bit distracted..."  
"I am fine." Loki repeated, a little sharper than he had intended.  
Steve raised a hand.  
"Okay, sorry." He said. "I'm just making sure."  
Loki sighed.  
"I am sorry." He said. "It is just... After yesterday..."  
"Yeah." Steve replied. "It's okay, I get it."  
They both worked in silence after that. As the rest of the Avengers walked in for breakfast, Loki greeted them, though he was still a little tense.  
"Brother, are you well?" Thor asked.  
"I am fine Thor." Loki replied. "I am only still a little tense from yesterday."  
Thor nodded gravely.  
"I still cannot believe Freya has sided with Hela."  
Loki nodded absently.  
"It is a truly devastating blow." Thor continued. "But I can only imagine it is worse for you, considering how close you were to Freya, and considering that she was Sig..."  
"Yes, thank you Thor." Loki interrupted.  
"Hey, easy there." Steve interjected. "Can we just please all stay calm."  
"I am calm." Loki snapped.  
The rest of the team stared at him in concern. Loki sighed.  
"Perhaps I should go for a walk, to clear my mind."  
Before anyone could argue, Loki had left the tower.

Loki liked Midgard. It had so many diverse climates, from blazing deserts to frozen wastelands. He and Sigyn used to enjoy exploring the realm. He still thought it was a miracle they were never court. Either that, or their mothers actually approved of their wanderings. He supposed he may never know.  
Midgard had changed a lot since those times. The technology had advanced dramatically, and the population had grown exponentially.  
Unfortunately, so had the pollution.  
The air was harder to breathe, the climate was warmer, and the oceans were full of waste. Which made what he wanted to do all that much harder.  
He walked along the shore, ignoring the stairs of the people he passed by. No doubt they were wondering why a former war criminal was allowed to walk freely. He did not care what they thought. He had more important concerns.  
Finally, he was able to find a deserted stretch of beach. He removed his shoes and was thankful for the Midgardian creation of short legged trousers. Not only was he much cooler in the late summer heat, but he did not have to roll up the legs for when he stepped into the water.  
The wave lapped at his ankles, and he summoned his magic. He called out to an old friend who he hadn't seen in so long.  
After only a few minutes, a large head emerged from the water. Though the creature was forced to remain in the deeper waters, due to his size, his neck was still long enough to reach where Loki stood in the shallows.  
He smiled as the large serpent bent his head and he stroked the massive scales.  
"Hello again, old friend." He said gently. "I know, it has been a while. Sorry, I am afraid I have not brought you any treats this time... Oh, don't act like that."  
He chuckled as the reptile rubbed his head against him.  
"Loki?"  
Startled, Loki turned to see Natasha, walking up the sand towards him.  
"Were you following me?" He demanded.  
Natasha did not reply until she reached them. She remained on the sand, staring at the serpent.  
"That is a very big snake." She said.  
Loki smirked.  
"Yes, I am aware." He said.  
He stroked the scales lovingly.  
"Would you care to meet him. I assure you, he is perfectly safe."  
Natasha glanced from Loki, to the snake, and back again. Finally, she removed her shoes and waded into the water.  
Loki smiled.  
"Beautiful, isn't he?"  
Natasha extended a hesitant hand and began to stroke the serpent's head, next to where Loki had been doing the same thing.  
"Does he have a name?" She asked.  
Loki smiled.  
"Jörmangandr."  
Jörmangandr nuzzled his head into Loki as he said the snake's name. Loki laughed and Natasha's lips twitched in a smile.  
"So where did this big guy come from?" She asked.  
Loki smiled, though the memory made him feel both glad and sorrowful.  
"I found him on Vanaheim." He began. "He was so small, he could wrap around my arm."  
He smiled sadly.  
"The day I found him was also the last day I saw..."  
Natasha nodded. Loki sighed and continued.  
"Through those dark days, he was the only one who kept me somewhat sane. Well, him and my Mother."  
Loki stroked Jörmangandr fondly.  
"Eventually, Odin discovered the snake I had hiding in my chambers. Mostly because said snake got to big for my chambers. He ordered I get rid of Jörmangandr, so I brought him down here. And he has lived in the oceans of Midgard ever since."  
"How has no one noticed a big freaking snake in the ocean?" Natasha asked, an amused smile on her face.  
Loki also smiled.  
"He is very good at concealing himself. Though, he can sometimes be a bit too obvious."  
Jörmangandr took obvious offense to this, as he flicked his tail in the water, causing a massive wave to knock Loki and Natasha off of their feet.  
The two ended up wet, covered in sand, and tangled in each other's arms and legs. Eventually, after a lot of rolling around, they managed to untangle themselves, laughing.  
"Oh, really funny!" Loki yelled up at the serpent.  
Jörmangandr sent another wave towards them before he disappeared back under the water. After Loki and Natasha shook off the water from this latest attack, they laughed and smiled at each other. After a few minutes, they both calmed down. Natasha turned to him.  
"Are you okay?" She asked.  
Loki sighed and stared off into the distance.  
"I am fine, it's just..."  
He sighed again and turned to her.  
"Yesterday, when Sif and the Warriors Three tried to take me back to Asgard, and all of you stood between them and myself... Why?" He asked.  
Natasha raised an eyebrow.  
"Why what?" She asked.  
"Why did you do that?" He asked. "After what I tried to do to your realm..."  
"You didn't do it willingly." Natasha argued.  
"I know, it is just..." Loki sucked in a breath. "Why?"  
Natasha studied him for a long time.  
"You are one of us now." She said. "We are a team, Loki. A team stands by each other, no matter what."  
"I know, but..." Loki continued.  
"Don't you think you are worth fighting for?" She asked.  
"No one has ever thought that." He said quietly. "Well... At least not so many people before."  
"You are not a bad person." She said. "You're just... Broken."  
"And you think that I can be fixed?"  
The assassin stared into his eyes.  
"Anything can be fixed, given the right amount of care." She said finally. "I think that, deep down, you are a good person Loki."  
"You are a good person Loki."  
The words that Sigyn had said so long ago echoed in his mind. He wandered just how true these words were.  
"My ledger is dripping red." He said quietly. "Do you truly think I can wipe out so much red?"  
"I don't know." Natasha replied, just as quietly. "But that does not mean you should not try, right?"  
They lay in silence for a long time.  
"Do you like me Natasha?" He asked.  
Natasha raised an eyebrow.  
"What do you mean by "like"?"  
"I mean, are we... Friends?" He asked.  
Natasha studied him. Finally, she nodded.  
"Yeah, I'm your friend. Just like Steve is, and Tony, and Bruce, and I guess even Clint now."  
Loki smiled.  
"You know, I have never actually had a proper friend before." He mused. "The closest thing I had was Sigyn but... Well, we did not stay friends for very long."  
They both lay in the sand in silence for a long time. It was quiet, with just the two of them. Loki found he enjoyed the peace.  
Unfortunately, the quiet could not last forever.  
"Hey, there you guys are! We've been... Oh, shit, sorry. Didn't realise I was walking in on something."  
The two of them suddenly jumped away from each other. Loki had not realise how close they had been. They both looked up to see Tony and Steve walking down the sand towards them, the former with a large grin on his face and the later with his face flaming red.  
"Errr, what were you umm..." Steve began awkwardly.  
"We were talking." Natasha said quickly. "Just talking."  
"Oh, really?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then why are you both all wet and covered in sand?"  
"Oh, for the love of." Loki muttered. "Stark, if you are thinking what I think you are thinking, it was nothing like that. As you can see, we are both fully clothed. The reason why we are so dishevelled is because an old friend of mine decided he wanted to cause a massive tidal wave."  
"What kind of friend?" Tony asked.  
"A giant sea serpent." Natasha replied.  
Tony blinked. Then, he laughed.  
"Your friend's a giant snake?" He said through his laughter. "Knew it, Reindeer Games is the poster boy for Slytherin."  
Both Loki and Steve stared at Tony in confusion.  
"What in the Nine Realms is a Slytherin?" Loki asked Natasha.  
The assassin rolled her eyes.  
"It's from this book series."  
She pointed to Steve.  
"I'm surprised you haven't heard about it. Cap, you've been in the 21st century for what, two years?"  
"I've got a very long list, okay." Steve said defensively.  
"Perhaps we could read these books together." Loki suggested.  
Steve nodded in agreement.  
"What is so amusing?"  
All four turned to see Thor walking down the sand towards them.  
"Brother, why are you and Natasha covered in sand?"  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
"Jörmangandr was in one of those moods."  
A wide grin instantly appeared on Thor's face.  
"You saw Jörmangandr?" He asked happily.  
"Wait, you know Loki's snake friend?" Tony asked.  
Thor nodded happily.  
"Yes, we are often competing against each other in feats of strength."  
"That's it, Loki, call back Yur... Jar... Whatever his name is."  
"No." Loki said quickly. "New York is still the from recovering from the attack last year, they do not need to be destroyed again in one of Thor and Jörmangandr's little play fights."  
"Aww." Tony said. "But I want to see Thor wrestle a giant snake."  
"Maybe if Loki is able to move them somewhere a bit safer." Steve suggested.  
Tony's face brightened.  
"After we deal with the current conflict." Loki interjected.  
"Oh, fine." Tony said, slightly disappointed.  
Thor walked over and clapped a large hand on the Midgardian's shoulder.  
"Do not worry my friend." He said. "Once we have dealt with Hela, Jörmangandr and I shall show you a duel to remember."  
Tony smiled.  
"Great." He said happily. "Come on, let's go back to the tower."  
"Yeah, I need a shower." Natasha said.  
"As do I." Loki agreed.  
Tony smirked.  
"Maybe you ∂ have one together. It would really save water."  
"Tony." Steve scolded.  
Loki only looked at Natasha strangely, before deciding to ignore Tony's comment and follow the others back to the tower.  
His mind had been cleared slightly, but there were still some doubts.  
Was he truly doing the right thing? Was this the right decision? Was it truly wise to trust Hela?  
And what of the Avengers? What happens when they find out? For the first time, Loki felt as if he had actual friends he had earned on his own merits, and not because he was Thor's brother. Could he sacrifice this so easily?  
Steve, the man who had reached out to him, who had been willing to make the first step. Bruce, the calming presence who he often enjoyed a cup of calming tea and an intelligent conversation with. Tony, who he sympathised with so much. Clint, who had only just begun to trust him. And Natasha, a woman who intrigued and confused him so much.  
And then there was Thor. The brother who had loved him, even after all their fights, and after all he had done.  
Could he betray them?  
And then he thought about why exactly he had made this decision in the first place.  
Sigyn was out there. Out there with his child. They could be in danger, for all he knew.  
He would not fail as Odin and Hela had. He would find his child and the woman he loved, and ensure this cycle ended. He would make things right.  
Maybe... Maybe he could make an actual family. One that acted as a proper family should, with love and trust, and not lies and secrets.  
And if they were dead... Well, Natasha had basically said he was an Avenger now. So if they were dead, he would Avenge them.  
Perhaps love was for children. Well, in that case were they all not children? Or, at least those who fought for love, as he was about to do. It did not matter. All that mattered was that he found his lost lover and child.


	10. A question of love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela wants to know what love is. Loki is finding out just how much he was loved. Both are finding out that love hurts.

Chapter 10:

Hela had fought in many battles. She had faced a large number of opponents. Even with sparing partners, many feared finding death at her hands. Their fear wouldn't have been too unreasonable. Sometimes, she did get lost in the thrill of the fight, and accidents happened.  
But she had to admit, none had ever entertained her as much as her current sparing partner.  
She ducked another swipe at her neck and aimed her sword for her opponent's legs. The woman easily jumped out of the way.  
"You have good reflexes." She commented.  
"So do you." Nebula replied as she fainted an attack to Hela's right with her dagger. "I have to ask, why again are we using sharp weapons?"  
Hela rolled her eyes as she blocked both Nebula's fake attack and her real kick to the left.  
"Why, are you scared I will hurt you by accident?"  
Nebula scoffed.  
"No, you couldn't hurt me, believe me."  
Hela smirked.  
"Never say never." She said casually.  
She attempted another blow to the woman's side. The cyborg avoided.  
"But as for your original question," She continued. "I feel no need to use such things. I never used any such weapon as a child, so I feel no need now."  
Nebula only shrugged and continued their duel.  
They continued to exchange blows for another few minutes. Then, Hela heard a cry from the sidelines.  
"Stop." She said, banishing her sword.  
She turned and walked toward the side of the training-yard, where a cot held Vidar, who had just woken up. Hela picked him up gently. It looked like it was time for another feeding. She walked over to one of the benches and, without a care for the other occupant of the yard, began to feed the small child.  
Over the past week, she had become more accustomed to caring for Vidar. She was still finding herself less rested than she would have liked, but she supposed that sacrifices had to be made. At least she could easily use the breast-milk spell Freya had taught her. And at least she had finally figured out how to change Vidar properly, without having to ask for the Vanir Queen's assistance.  
The child was never too far apart from her. She did not wish to risk any harm coming to him, and she did not trust anyone to tend the boy, save for herself.  
She had gone so far as to have a mobile cot built for him, so she could bring him wherever she went around the fortress.  
Nebula walked over to her and sat on the other end of the bench.  
"You are really attached to him, aren't you?" She asked.  
Hela shrugged.  
"I have taken him as my own, so he is my responsibility." She replied. "And I at least wish to be a better parent than Odin." She added bitterly.  
The two women were silent as Hela finished feeding Vidar. She righted her tunic and cradled the child.  
"You were good out there." Nebula said. "I can see why so many people are afraid of you."  
Hela shrugged.  
"I suppose I can at least thank Odin for that." She said.  
She stared off into the distance, gently rocking Vidar.  
"From the moment he discovered my ability to summon weapons, he saw me as more of a tool than a daughter." She continued absently. "He trained me mercilessly. If I was injured, it was more own fault. So what if we were using sharp weapons from the start, instead of blunted or wooden blades."  
She could see out of the corner of her eye, the slight tensing of Nebula's jaw.  
"Thanos was just as bad." The cybernetic woman said. "Every time I lost a fight with my sister Gamora, he would take another piece of me, saying it would make me stronger."  
Hela glanced over at her. She had to admit, over the past week, the two of them had become closer. Hela would almost say they were friends.  
"Our fathers turned us into weapons." She began. "And now, they will reap what they have sawn."  
Hela saw Nebula's expression twitch into a dark grin.  
"I look forward to tearing him apart, just as he did to me." She said.  
"I would not speak so soon." Hela commented. "I too, have reason to end The Mad Titan, just as much as you."  
Hela's face hardened.  
"For while he may have hurt you in more ways than we care to count, I was forced to watch helplessly as that monster tortured my son." She growled the last few words.  
Nebula eyed her.  
"I remember that, you know." She commented. "I never participated, but I heard just how much fun they had."  
Hela grinned maliciously.  
"And I will have fun tearing them to shreds."  
Nebula continued to eye her.  
"I did see him a few times." She continued. "You look like him. Well, except for the few times he turned blue."  
"His Frost-giant form." Hela said casually. "The few times that I have seen him in that form, he more resembled his father than myself."  
"Is it true?" Nebula asked. "That he killed him?"  
Hela nodded.  
"Yes, I saw it for myself." She replied. "Laufey was a good man, but unfortunately too trusting."  
"So you don't mind that..." Nebula began.  
"What, that Loki killed him?" Hela asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know that it was not entirely his fault. He only did it to impress Odin."  
"Did you love him?" Nebula asked.  
Hela scoffed.  
"I still do not know." She replied honestly. "I was never shown love, so I do not know how to recognise it."  
"How can you learn what is never shown?"  
Hela chuckled.  
"I asked Odin the exact same question." She commented.  
Nebula looked off into the distance.  
"I do not know how I feel about Gamora." She began absently. "I hate her, because she would always defeat me, which led to Thanos..."  
She shook her head.  
"But then, I remember how we used to be, despite the constant pain."  
She clenched her fists.  
"She always thought to win. That's all she ever wanted, to win. But all I wanted was a sister."  
She shook her head again.  
"I don't know why I'm telling you all this."  
"You need to let it out." Hela said. "Believe me, I am no stranger to anger."  
She glared at the wall.  
"It is like a blazing inferno, all consuming, and dangerous."  
She chuckled.  
"Laufey would always say I had a spirit that burnt bright enough to light up Yggdrasil."  
Her slight smile turned into a smirk as sharp as a knife.  
"And now, I hope to see Asgard burn."  
They were silent once again.  
"You know," Hela began. "We are not so different, you and I."  
Nebula nodded.  
"We both had horrible fathers, and we will both be the reason for their ends."  
Hela smirked.  
"They have both built great empires." She began. "And soon, they will fall."  
"I'm looking forward to it."  
"So am I." Hela replied.

Hela looked over the maps before her. She was currently sitting in the war-room with her generals, planning the assault on the Asgardian Colony of Alfheim.  
"From what Lord Frey has told us," She began. "The asgardians have been strengthening their defenses. However, I doubt they would have found a way to combat magical attacks in a week. The people of Alfheim are said to be even greater sorcerers than the people of Vanaheim, so we will not have any problems in executing the same plan as before..."  
"Actually, I beg to differ."  
Everyone in the room turned to see a figure where there had been no one before.  
It was Loki. Only, he looked different to the last time she had seen him. For instance, he was not in his preferred asgardian form. His pale skin was now blue, covered in markings, and his emerald eyes were now blood red.  
These red eyes were now examining the room.  
"Loki," Hela began. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"I thought, seeing as we are now allies, that I should be a part of these little meetings."  
He walked over to the table and conjured a seat for himself.  
"Take a seat, why don't you." She muttered sarcastically.  
"As I was saying," He continued, ignoring her comment. "I do not believe it would be wise you use the same strategy twice."  
"Oh, and why not?" Hela asked. "It worked well on Vanaheim."  
"Because," Loki began. "Odin, for all his faults, is no fool. He would have thought of better ways to increase the defenses of the colonies, other than merely sending reinforcements."  
He lent back in his seat casually.  
"And do not forget, while he may scoff at the idea of men using magic, he has the Odinforce, the power of Asgard itself, at his fingertips. He could have easily erected some form of barrier around the colony, without Lord Frey or anyone else the wiser."  
He laced his fingers behind his head and his lips twitched in a casual smirk. Hela half expected him to kick his feet up on the table.  
"And in any case," He continued. "Odin may anticipate you will target Alfheim next, due to the Queen's consort being Freya's twin."  
The Frost-Giants around the table began to mutter.  
"Then what would you suggest?" One of them asked.  
Loki lent forward, suddenly serious.  
"If we can not go through the defenses, then perhaps we could go under."  
There were more mutters.  
"How?" A frost-giant demanded.  
"Simple." Loki replied. "We use some of Frey and Freya's sorcerers to dig tunnels under the colony."  
He pointed to several areas on the map.  
"Not too many, as then the stability of the ground may be compromised. I suggest four, in each of the cardinal directions. They can then all meet near the centre. Make a perimeter around the centre, and spread outward."  
"Will we not then be trapped and surrounded by the asgardians?"  
Loki shook his head.  
"Not if we are able to push them towards the edges. I am sure that the combination of magic and weapon will be able to keep the asgardians on their toes."  
He then traced a circle around the colony.  
"If Odin has indeed erected a barrier around the colony, then they will be trapped between our forces and their protection. And, knowing the stupidity of asgardians, many of them would rather die than surrender, so if you wish for prisoners, it may be difficult. All you will have to do is keep them away from the tunnels, and to be careful of any noncombatants and children, of course."  
"And what if there is no barrier?" Someone asked. "And if there is, what do you suggest we do if they are able to remove it?"  
"We make a blockade around the colony." Loki replied. "I am sure that with the combined forces of Jotunheim, Vanaheim and Alfheim, that will be manageable. Especially with our greater skills with magic."  
"And why should we do anything you suggest?"  
"Silence fool." Skjold barked. "Do as even know who this is?"  
The offending Frost-giant scoffed.  
"Of course I know who this is." He replied. "He..."  
"Is Loki Laufeyson." Skjold interrupted. "Our rightful king, regardless of anything he may have done in the past."  
Loki eyed Skjold in either suspicion or curiosity, and Hela sighed. She may have been able to convince the vast majority of Jotunheim that Loki was not completely at fault for the death of Laufey, but there were still a few who she knew still harboured negative feelings towards her son.  
Loki turned his attention to the Frost-giant who had spoken out against him.  
"I understand why there may me a few misgivings concerning where my loyalties lie." He began. "I admit that once, I was loyal to Odin. However, after all that he has done, I feel I can no longer stand aside while he continues to exude his dominance across the Nine Realms."  
"is that all you have to say?" The frost-giant demanded, going to his feet. "After you betrayed Laufey, a better king than Asgard had ever had. A good, and loyal man who trusted you, only to be stabbed in the back in the name of Odin."  
"Do you not think that I regret my past actions?" Loki hissed. "Believe me, I do. I was a fool, seeking approval from a man who would never give me the time of day."  
"Oh, so is that what you are?" The frost-giant sneered. "The great God of Mischief, little more than a boy, desperate for a daddy."  
Loki clenched his fists and green magic swirled around them. Hela made to show the frost-giant his place, but Loki met her eyes and shook his head.  
"This is more than just my personal quarrels with Odin." Loki said through clenched teeth. "My eyes have now been opened to the true cruelty of the supposed "Protector of the Nine Realms". He is arrogant, and cruel. He believe that Asgard should rule over all others. He pretends to be a carrying, benevolent king, but we all know he only cares about himself."  
He looked around the table at the frost-giant gathered.  
"I know that you may not trust me. To be honest, I would not blame you. But know, that I want nothing more than to see Odin dead, and to see his kingdom fall around him."  
Everyone around the table muttered to themselves. The frost-giant who had spoken against Loki, defeated, sat down.  
Hela called the room to order.  
"Now that that is out of the way," She began. "Loki, do you have any more suggests?"

Loki stood, lent against one of the icy walls. He stared down at his blue, frost-giant hand. He had thought it wise to take on his jotun form, as it may win him some favour with the frost-giant. He felt that perhaps it made some sort of difference. At least they were not attacking him. Only one had spoken out against him, and one had even defended him. Though, Hela may have had some influence over this.  
He was broken from his thoughts by an approaching figure. He looked up to see the frost-giant who had defended him.  
"Hello," He began. "Can I help you?"  
"Oh, no." The frost-giant began. "I merely wished to speak with you, Sire."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"You refer to me as your king," He began. "And yet, I am afraid I do not know you."  
"Ahh, yes." The frost-giant began. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Skjold."  
He extended his hand, and Loki shook it hesitantly.  
"I was close with your father." He continued.  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Which only makes you referring to me as your king even less sense." He said.  
Skjold cleared his throat.  
"Many of us do not blame you for King Laufey's death." He began. "While it may have been you who struck the killing blow, it was Odin's manipulations which led you to it. You are seen as more of a victim, than a villain."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Yes, I do regret my actions. However, I will also not make any excuses." He said. "I will only say that, until recently, I believe that he had left me to die as a child, because I was so small."  
"Bah." Skjold barked in disgust. "No doubt another of Odin's lies." He spat. "We would never abandon a child, no matter how small or fragile they are. Life is more sacred to our people than anything else, including the Casket of Ancient Winters. Laufey mourned the loss of you and, your mother, more than the Casket."  
"Did he?" Loki asked, his voice catching.  
Skjold nodded sadly.  
"He made countless ice sculptures, though not even that could relieve him of his grief."  
"He enjoyed creating ice sculptures?" Loki asked in surprise.  
Skjold nodded.  
"There is an entire chamber fall of sculptures of all sizes. They are quite beautiful."  
Skjold sucked in a breath.  
"The last one he made... Was of you." He said in a quite voice. "When he first discovered who you were."  
Skjold sighed.  
"He had hoped that... That once the two of you took care of Odin that..."  
Skjold looked down mournfully.  
"I am sorry." Loki muttered. "I now realise, and..."  
He shook his head.  
"We cannot change the past. No matter how much either of us want it, we cannot bring the dead back to life. All we can do is ensure justice is served to those who deserve it."  
Skjold nodded.  
"And Odin has avoided justice for too long." He agreed.  
They were both silent.  
"Laufey was a good king." Skjold said. "And I can tell you will just as great."  
"You can?" Loki asked.  
Skjold nodded. He then lent forward and spoke in a hushed tone.  
"You are preferable to Hela, along with that asgardian child she has taken in."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"I am sensing you do not like Hela that well."  
Skjold scoffed.  
"She has caused our people as much pain as Odin has." He replied. "Laufey loved her, and she used him to try to rebel against her father. And all that resulted from this was the realm in ruin, and our king with a broken heart."  
Loki looked down.  
"I am sorry." He muttered. "I am sure that I caused more destruction with the bifrost..."  
Skjold shook his head.  
"Thankfully, there were very few casualties. And we were able to repair most of the damage."  
He clapped a large hand on his shoulder.  
"And in any case, we also blame this on Odin."  
Loki remembered a comment that Laufey had made, when he and Thor had travelled with Sif and the Warriors Three to Jotunheim.  
"He is a liar, and a thief." He muttered.  
Skjold nodded.  
"And his daughter is no different." He replied. "Many of us would prefer you over her. It is not right, to have an asgardian on the throne of Jotunheim."  
"And yet you would have a half asgardian?"  
Skjold shrugged.  
"You seem more jotun than asgardian." He replied.  
Loki nodded.  
"Thank you, for your support."  
To his surprise, Skjold wrapped an arm around him.  
"Laufey was my friend." He said. "It is the least I could do."  
He let Loki go.  
"You will always have my support, Loki Laufeysson." He said.  
Loki nodded, still in shock.  
"Thank you."  
He cleared his throat.  
"Do you... Do you think you could show me this chamber of ice sculptures?"

One hour later, Loki was still in the chamber of sculptures. Hundreds, if not thousands, and beautiful pieces of art. And they had all been created by Laufey, his father.  
They had all amazed him with how intricate and detailed they were. They were more beautiful than anything he had seen before. The light shone through them and cast a rainbow of colour, as vibrant as the rainbow bridge in Asgard.  
The artwork of Asgard mostly consisted of painting depicting battles, statues of mighty warriors, and other similarly themed images.  
But these, they held beauty beyond what he could have possibly imagined. From obscure abstract was, to great beasts he presumed were native to Jotunheim. Large was depicting landscapes, great sloping mountains, large valleys with frozen lakes and rivers.  
There were even images from other realms.  
But the ones which caught his eye the most were the was of Hela.  
There were so many of them. In her armour with weapons coming from her hands, in a chair by the fire, with Laufey himself. There were even a few depicter her when she was presumably pregnant with him.  
And then, at the very back of the chamber, was the thing which tour him apart the most.  
For it was the last Laufey had ever made. A sculpture of him.  
Loki was still marvelling at the detail. Laufey must have had a very good memory, to have been able to create such a detailed depiction of him after only a few meetings. Only, there was more.  
The sculpture was exactly life sized, the exact same height as the real Loki. He was dressed in his asgardian armour, only without his helmet.  
But the most fascinating part was his face, and whatever other parts of skin were visible.  
Half of his face was smooth, just as it was when he was in his asgardian form. But the other half had markings on it, just as his own face did when he was in his frost-giant form.  
He traced the markings on his own face.  
So intricate, so detailed. So... So beautiful.  
The sculpture symbolised his duel nature. Part asgardian, part jotun.  
At this time of day, the light from the large window cast a shadow over his asgardian half.  
Loki was broken from his thoughts by approaching footsteps. He turned to see Hela, Vidar in her arms.  
"So here is where you are." She said. "I feared you had returned to Midgard."  
Loki looked around the room again.  
"Did he truly craft all of these?" He asked.  
Hela sighed.  
"Yes." She admitted. "He was very artistic."  
"They are beautiful." He commented.  
Hela nodded.  
"Strange, that someone who could create such beauty would trust one who could commit such destruction." She mused. "I could never understand why."  
"I have heard that he loved you." Loki replied.  
Hela frowned.  
"I believe we had already agreed that I know nothing of love."  
She stepped closer.  
"And yet, I also recall suggesting you teach me such a concept."  
Loki scoffed.  
"I recall telling you that love is something that cannot be so easily be put into words."  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"Try."  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"Love, it is... It is like fire. It can light up a person's entire world. It can hurt if mishandled, but if you are careful, then... It can be the greatest thing in your life."  
He stared off into the distance.  
"It is more than just a romantic feeling. You can love a friend, or your family, or anyone you have a strong positive connection with. To love someone, or to be loved by someone, it means that... That you will stand with them, regardless of their floors, not in spite of them. And they will do the same for you."  
He looked down.  
"But as I said, if not used properly, love can cause the greatest pain. It can tear you apart. To be betrayed by someone who you love, it can feel as if you had been stabbed in the heart. It can feel like death by a thousand cuts. It can make your entire world seem darker, as if there will no longer be any happiness in your life."  
He fell silent.  
"It sounds so complicated." Hela muttered.  
Loki shrugged.  
"As I said, it is something that cannot accurately be expressed in words. In some cases, actions speak louder than any words I may weave."  
He gestured towards the infant in Hela's arms.  
"I can tell you must feel some affection for that child, as you seem overly attached to him."  
Hela frowned.  
"I do not trust any others to care for him properly." She said.  
Loki nodded, not surprised.  
"I see." He said, stepped forward. "Kay I?" He asked, extending his arms.  
Hela eyed him, obviously seeing what he wanted.  
"Do you mind returning to your asgardian form?" She asked.  
Loki did so, seeing his skin return to the pale shade he was used to.  
Slowly, Hela placed Vidar in h$ arms. The child was small, but Loki could sense he would be strong.  
He looked down at the child. His hair was dark, unusual for an asgardian. And he was pale. His eyes were closed, but then they suddenly opened. They were blue, a slightly lighter shade than Thor's.  
As Loki observed the child, he thought of Sigyn, and their own child. Were they a boy or a girl? Would they have inherited his dark hair, our would they have been born with Sigyn's golden locks? Were their eyes his green, or her grey?  
He shook his head and handed Vidar back to Hela.   
"I do hope you are not planning on keeping him here forever." He said. "The climate of Jotunheim is hardly appropriate for an asgardian child."  
"I do not plan to remain here forever." Hela replied. "Once Odin is dead, I will take my rightful place as Queen of Asgard."  
"And I presume Vidar will be heir to the throne?" He asked. "After all, as Laufey's only child, I must take the throne of Jotunheim."  
Hela nodded.  
"That is true, but any child of yours will have a better claim to the throne of Asgard than Vidar."  
Loki thought about this for a few seconds.  
"Well, I would already have an heir, once we find Sigyn and our child." He began. "And they would already be in their adolescence."  
He smirked.  
"Do you think you could handle having an adolescent grandchild?"  
Hela frowned.  
"This is assuming they are even alive."  
Loki frowned. He refused to think of the possibility that Sigyn and their child were dead. He would not, he could not.  
"Well," He began. "I should return to Midgard. The Avengers may become suspicious of my absence soon."  
Hela nodded.  
"Oh, and Loki," She began before he could open a portal.  
"Yes?" He asked.  
"Do not undermine my authority in front of my advisers again." She said.  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Are they not my adviser?" He asked. "After all, I am the rightful king."  
Hela smirked.  
"You are not king yet."  
"All in due time." He said before vanishing through the portal.


	11. True people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki gets closer to his cooler side.

Chapter 11:

For the next few weeks, Loki watched from the sidelines as Hela raged war against Odin.  
She and her forces had quickly destroyed the Asgardian colony of Alfheim. However, after this, it was a struggle for them to find more allies.  
Svartalfheim was too weak to be of any help, there numbers too small and disorganised. Even if they could have been of some use, Loki would never have allied with them. Not after the death of his mother.  
The same was true of muspelheim. The fire-giants of this realm had been hunted to near extinction by Odin and the Asgardians. And in any case, they were the natural enemies of the frost-giants. There would have been riots in Jotunheim if Hela even suggested allying with them.  
The trolls of Niflheim chose to remain neutral. Not because of any hesitation about rebelling against Asgard, but due to a reluctance to trust Hela. Apparently, Odin had created her prison directly underneath this misty realm. For over a millennia, the people of Niflheim had told stories of the demon woman who ruled the realm beneath their own. They had even called it Helheim, after the woman who haunted their tales. Hela had been clearly offended, but Loki was somehow able to calm her down and persuade her not to kill them all.  
This only left nidavellir. While Loki was hesitant to trust the dwarfs, he knew that they, too, had suffered from the suppression of Asgard. However, he was not sure if their discontent with the golden realm would win out over their greed for gold. Thankfully, he was able to advise Hela how to negotiate with the dwarfs in a non-violent manner.  
Unfortunately, the lack of allies did not stop Asgard from retaliating. Soon, Odin was sending troops to attack strongholds on Alfheim and Vanaheim. Hela was quick to defend her allies, and won many battles. However, she also lost many.  
Both she and Odin were formidable tacticians, and they knew each other's tricks. So each battle was very close.  
As for Loki, he mostly stuck to an advisory role. Hela had suggested he spy on Odin, through Thor, however, this would not have worked, even if Loki wanted to. Not only did Odin not trust him, but he also seemed to be keeping Thor out of the loop. He obviously knew how bad Thor was at keeping secrets, so the old King never told his own heir any of their battle plans.  
Thor seemed slightly upset, but he accepted the situation. He contented himself with assisting in defending Midgard.   
Not that it needed any defending at the moment. Hela had no designs on the realm, and Odin did not bother to occupy any of the world. It would seem that no one saw Midgard as important, or powerful enough, to be of any use.

Loki spent many of his visits to Jotunheim learning more about the frost-giants, and what exactly they thought of him.  
He learnt that Laufey was not the only one to enjoy ice sculptures. There were entire galleries full of statues depicting various images, from the clearly themed to the obscure. They were all very beautiful, and not what Loki expected from the race that the Asgardians called monsters.  
As well as artwork, Loki learnt that the frost-giants enjoyed hunting, music, wrestling, story telling, and, much to his astonishment, magic. And, more importantly, magic which was preformed by both women and men.  
Magic in Asgard was seen as the cowards way, and the work of women. However, in Jotunheim, magic was celebrated. They saw it as more than just a weapon. They saw it as a way of life, as a gift, as a truly great skill. Much as Loki saw magic.   
Whenever a child was found to have the potential for magic, the entire village would hold a grand celebration. They would dance, feast, and play games, all in the honor of this new young sorcerer.  
Loki had both been amazed, and a little sorrowful at this discovery. He wondered how his life could have been, if he had been raised in Jotunheim. A realm where his use of magic would be celebrated, and not scoffed at. A realm where he could truly be himself, and not be forced to be what others wanted him to be.  
He also wondered what exactly the people of Jotunheim thought of him.  
He would wonder some of the villages in disguise and start up conversations about Hela and himself. It would appear that the general consensus was that Hela was nothing more than a tyrant and usurper, much like her father, and that they only followed her because she promised them vengeance and freedom from the oppressive Asgardians and their cruel, one-eyed leader. Loki decided not to mention this to Hela, as he feared she would cull her own allies.  
On the other hand, the people's view of Loki himself was more positive. While some still saw him as the one who had killed their last rightful king, the vast majority saw him as their lost prince, once believed to have been dead, but had been instead stolen by the one-eyed tyrant and raised to be a weapon against his own people. Many also said that Loki was a symbol of what they wanted for the entire realm. Loki had once been a puppet, manipulated into doing Asgard's bidding and suppressed for his entire life. But now, he had broken from his chains and had returned to his people. The vast majority of the people he spoke with talked in great detail of how they wished he would just take his rightful throne back from the demon woman Hela Odindottir.  
However, there were still a few who wondered if he would even make a good king. Loki could not help but agree.  
He knew little of the realms culture and customs. He still knew so little about his own people. That, and he did not feel confident in his abilities. What if he failed? What if he was not a good king? What if he was not the king the people of Jotunheim needed, or the king they deserved.  
He had once appeared as himself in one of the villages, just to see what would happen. The results were a surprise, to say the least.  
As soon as they saw him, the entire village went silent. Then, something that Loki could only call pandemonium erupted.  
They all began cheering, gathering around him, shaking his hand, even giving him small trinkets. It was honestly astounding.  
They had led him to the village square, where they soon began to play music, food and drink were quickly prepared and served, and everyone began dancing and gathering around him, telling him of how happy they were to finally see "The Lost Prince", and how honor they were for his presence. Some Jotun children even walked up to him and presented him with a childish imitation of a crown, made from little icicles. Loki had accepted it numbly.  
He was honestly not expecting this sort of reaction. They were treating him as if he were some returning hero. Or, as if he were Thor.  
Many times he had seen the people of Asgard celebrate Thor's presence, even when his ventures were less than successful. Thor had been praised, honored, celebrated, and now Loki was being treated the exact same way, and he wasn't entirely sure if he liked it or not.  
The celebrations only became more wild when he showed them some of his magical talent. A few simple illusions to entertain the Jotun children, and suddenly everyone was cheering even louder for him, and requesting he show them more. Next Loki knew, he was on a high platform quickly made from one of the market stalls, and showing all his best tricks to the entire villages.  
Loki was not sure how to feel. On the one hand, it actually felt good to finally be apreciated for his talents. On the other hand, it still made him feel strange, and slightly uncomfortable.  
In any case it still felt good to interact with the people of Jotunheim. He decided that he would pay some more visits to other villages and cities.

Loki was sitting in a coffee shop, not too far from the tower. Over the past few weeks, various members of the avengers had taken him out on little trips. The idea was that, if the general public saw that Loki was behaving himself, and that he meant no one any harm, that Midgardian opinions of him would be changed. Loki went along with this, just to make his friends happy.  
While at first, his mere presence caused either complete and utter silence or a mass panic, the general public seemed to be getting used to him.  
It helped that some of the avengers, such as Steve and Bruce, encouraged him to do some community service. While it was slightly embarrassing for him to pick up the Midgardians' waste, it still felt good to please the people he considered friends. That, and it encouraged him to begin cleaning up some of the beaches, as he knew Jörmangandr would appreciate this.  
Now, he was sipping at a warm cup of tea, Natasha sitting on the seat opposite him.  
"Loki?"  
Loki was startled out of his thoughts, and he flicked his eyes back to the assassin opposite him.  
"Yes?"  
"Are you okay?" Natasha asked calmly.  
Loki only nodded.  
"Why?"  
Natasha shrugged.  
"You have been staring out of that window for five minutes."  
Loki did not react. It was not his fault that the coffee shop was just across the street from a park, and it was not his fault a couple of Midgardian children had caught his eye.  
"I am fine." He replied calmly.  
His gaze flicked back to the window, where he could still see the Midgardian children playing.  
Ever since Freya had told him of Odin's true reason for banishing Sigyn, his mind had frequently flicked back to the thought that he could very well have a child out there. A child he was determined to find.  
He knew that, by now, the child would be in their adolescence. It caused a twinge in his heart, to think that he had missed so much of his child's life. But he knew that Sigyn would take care of them. She had always been so kind and nurturing. He could only hope that they would both forgive him for his absence. But even if they didn't, Loki would be fine, as long as they were both alive and well. He hoped they were both still alive. He did not know what he would do if either one of them were dead.  
He had never thought seriously about the possibility of children. All of the women of Asgard usually flirted with Thor, and paid him no mind. He never thought anyone would love him enough after Sigyn. However, he had vowed that, if he did manage to have children, he would do whatever it took to ensure they lived a life of joy and safety. Loki could not help but feel he had failed his potential offspring enough. But if they were dead, or if they had been left without a mother...  
"Loki?"  
"Hmm?" He flicked his eyes back to Natasha.  
"You were zoning out again." She said simply.  
"Oh,“ He said. "My apologies."  
Natasha merely shrugged and sipped at her coffee.  
"Is there anything on your mind you want to talk about?" She asked.  
Loki shook his head.  
"No, it is..."  
Loki shook his head again. His gaze flicked back to the park.  
Natasha followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.  
"Is it about the park across the street?"  
Loki sighed.  
"It is just..."  
He sucked in a breath.  
"Seeing those children playing, when I know that at this very moment there is a war raging which will decide the fate of the Nine Realms..."  
He sighed again.  
"I suppose it feels strange, seeing such innocence."  
Natasha nodded in understanding.  
"That's why we fight wars, to keep them innocent for as long as we can."  
Loki nodded.  
"Have you ever thought about... What life would be like if you could..."  
He then flicked his eyes back to his companion in a slight panic.  
"Forgive me, I do not mean to make you feel uncomfortable, or to upset you, or..."  
Natasha merely waved him off.  
"It's fine." She said. "I got over what they did to me a long time ago."  
She sighed.  
"I don't think I would make a very good parent anyway. Not with my line of work."  
She shook her head.  
"Still, I would have liked to have that choice, if I had kids or not."  
Loki nodded.  
"I am sorry, for what they did to you."  
Natasha waved him off again.  
"It's fine. As I said, I'm over it."  
Loki frowned slightly. He wondered whether or not he should tell Natasha the true reason for his absent mind. He had not told anyone, not even Thor, of what Freya had told him. He did not feel ready to share such a discovery with anyone.  
However, Natasha had shared much of her own thoughts and feelings with him. He knew that she was not a generally open person, so it amazed him to no end that she trusted him so much.  
However, he could not muster the strength to share this one secret with anyone. Not yet, at least. Not until he got more information.

Loki was many things. A sorcerer, a prince, a trickster. But one thing he was not, was a babysitter.  
He stared at Hela in complete surprise.  
"You wish for me to do what exactly?" He asked.  
"I want you to watch Vidar for me." Hela replied calmly. "And of course Jotunheim, but Vidar is my main concern."  
Loki sighed.  
"You are aware that I have absolutely no experience with infants, correct?"  
Hela merely shrugged.  
"Nor did I until a month ago." She replied. "Do not worry, I should only be a few hours. It is just that Odin is laying siege to one of Freya's strongholds, and she has requested my assistance."  
Loki let out a long sighed.  
"You are fortunate Thor and the Avengers are preoccupied."  
It was true. Thor had been called back to Asgard by Odin, and had left early that morning. Steve and Natasha were off on a very important and secretive mission. Clint was called on another different mission. Tony and Bruce were both in the labs, and did not appear to be leaving any time soon. Loki had simply used the excuse that he was going to clean up another beach for Jörmangandr. The two scientists had accept it and let him go.  
Hela smiled.  
"So, will you do this?"  
"Fine." Loki replied.  
She handed the babe to him.  
"Good, I have organised for some goats milk to be put in some bottles. All you have to do is heat them to a suitable temperature. Not too hot, I do not wish for his throat to be burnt. And as you know, I have placed a cot in every room that you may use. The cots also contain supplise for when Vidar needs to be changed."  
Loki only nodded at all these instructions. He had quickly learnt that, despite Hela's puthless nature, she was also what the Midgardians called a "Hover Parent".  
Hela let out a breath. She then stroked Vidar's little head.  
"Now, you be good for your brother, alright?"  
Vidar only gurgled in response. Hela smiled and looked up at Loki.  
"I will not be long." She said, before leaving the room.

As Loki watched Hela and the forces she was taking leave through the portal, he looked down at the babe in his arms.  
"Well, it looks like it is you and me, little brother."  
Vidar made some cooing sounds, before promptly spitting up all over Loki's clothes. The man sighed.  
"The joys of being an older brother." He muttered.

The next few hours were a great exercise in patience for Loki. Not only did he have to deal with an endless amount of paperwork, concerning the wellbeing of Jotunheim, which Hela had been neglecting, but he also had to tend to Vidar constantly. If it wasn't a feeding, it was that he had to be changed. If he did not have to be changed, then it was that he was simply restless. Loki could not get too invested in anything, because he would be disturbed every five minutes by the needs of the babe currently in his care. And he could not even ask for assistence.  
Hela had strictly forbidden him from handing the babe off to any servants, and the servants themselves were terrified of defying the Queen Regent's orders.  
Not that she had been acting as much of a queen. In Hela's desire for revenge against Odin, she had completely forgotten about taking care of Jotunheim itself. There were mountains of reports concerning recent criminal activity, tax incomes, the results of that year's harvest and hunting, a census on the current population, which may not even be up to date considering the amount of battles that the army had been fighting lately... It was never ending.  
He was currently sitting at the desk in the office which he assumed Hela rarely, if ever, bothered to enter, considering the mountain of paperwork and the lack of a cot in the corner. Fortunately, despite its disuse, someone obviously had the foresight to exchange the large Jotun sized desk which had been used by Laufey, with one which could be used by someone of an Asgardian size.  
Loki sighed and rubbed his temples as he finished looking over another report. He looked to the corner of the room, where he had moved a cot for Vidar to rest in while he dealt with the neglected paperwork.  
"Honestly." He said out loud. "What does Hela do all day? Surely it can't take that long to organise battle plans?"  
Vidar only gurgled in his corner.  
Loki sighed. He got to his feet and stretched his back. Walking over to the corner, he picked up the babe and walked back to the desk.  
"This is the true responsibility of ruling." He said, gesturing to the paperwork with his free arm.  
Vidar's blue eyes stared up at him. Loki sighed again.  
"I suppose you will have to deal with this one day." He mused. "After all, as far as I know, Hela has no other children besides the two of us. I am the only heir of Jotunheim, so that only leaves you to inherit the throne of Asgard after Hela."  
Vidar cued.  
"Yes, there may be a chance Hela will have more biological children." Loki mused. "But it is highly doubtful. She does not seem like the romantic type, nor does she seem like the kind of person to share power in any way, so I highly doubt she will seek a consort."  
He began to stroke the small tuft of dark hair on the babe's head.  
"Yes, there is Thor. But I highly doubt Hela will let him keep his place in the line of succession."  
Vidar gurgled.  
"Thor? Oh, he is the son of Odin... Your uncle, I guess. Technically speaking, he is mine too, but I think of him as more of a brother, considering that Odin adopted me just after the last war."  
He smiled wistfully.  
"Thor may be an idiot at times, and yes, still a bit arrogant and reckless... But he still has his heart in the right place."  
He sighed.  
"I spent my entire life being mocked for who I was, and Thor was the only one besides our mother who stood up for me."  
He stared into the distance unfocused.  
"I wish I did not have to betray him like this but..."  
He shook his head.  
"There are factors which complicate matters. So many things that Thor does not even know about... Things I am afraid to tell him. I do not know why, it is just..."  
He shook his head again. He looked down at Vidar, attempting to distract his mind.  
"You and I are not too different." He mused. "Both, taken from our rightful families shortly after birth. Both being put in a realm not our own... Both being adopted by our family's enemy."  
He sighed.  
"I can only hope that you do not suffer the same discrimination I did." He said. "But I do not have high hopes. Hela may not admit it, but she is more like Odin than either Thor or myself."  
He looked down at Vidar. The babe had dark hair, much like himself and Hela. Strange, for an asgardian. Though, he had been born in the colony of Vanaheim, so there was no telling what was in his genetics.  
"Can Hela not see that she is merely repeating history by adopting you?" Loki muttered. He looked directly into the babe's eyes. "Well, if history must repeat itself, then I shall now take the role of Thor." He said. "Do not worry Vidar, just as my older brother protected me, I shall do my best to protect you."  
He did not know why he said this. Perhaps it was because Vidar did truly remind Loki of himself. Perhaps the thought of an innocent child, alone in the universe, around those who may be hostile towards them, made him think of his own child, the child he had never met. The child who had been exiled since before they were born for merely existing.  
Either way, Loki would stand by his words. He would protect Vidar, just as Thor had protected him.  
He was broken from his thoughts by a loud pounding on the door.  
"Yes, what is it?" Loki said.  
The door was then flung open and a frantic looking Jotun rushed into the room.  
"Your Highness,“ He panted. "Asgardians... Attacking the city..."  
Loki was instantly on his feet.  
"How far in are they?“ He demanded, quickly walking around the desk.  
"Only on the outskirts." The Jotun replied.  
"What are there numbers?“ Loki asked as he left the room, the Jotun hot on his heals.  
"Approximately one hundred, possibly two hundred."  
Loki nodded.  
"Anything else?"  
"They appear to be led by Thor Odinson."  
Loki swore. This was exactly what he did not want, to face Thor on the battlefield. But it would appear he had no choice. Hela had taken most of their strongest warriors and sorcerers. They would need all the capable fighters as they could get.  
"Muster whatever forces we have left." He said. "Raise the defenses. Evacuate all civilians into the fortress. And find someone to take care of him." He finished, thrusting Vidar into the Jotun's surprised arms. "I hope you are aware of what will happen if any harm were to come to this child."  
The Jotun nodded.  
"Well, what are you waiting for?"  
The Jotun rushed off to fulfill his orders. Loki let out a breath.  
"Here we go." He muttered.

Once all of their forces were mustered, Loki quickly used his shapeshifting abilities to make himself look like a full-sized Jotun. He doubted there were many half-sized Jotuns like himself, so it would be a little hard to keep the fact that he was allied with Hela a secret. Fortunately, while the Asgardians would not recognise him, the Jotuns still would, due to his markings. Which meant they would know he was leading their defense.  
He ran to the front lines to lead the defense. The logical part of his mind thought it would be good for moral, and for his reputation, to be seen leading the defense against the asgardians. However, another part of him felt that it was only right, that it was his duty to these people who had such faith in him.  
There were no exchange of words, no fancy speeches, as there were in the tales of old. Loki only yelled commands to the troops, changing his voice slightly so he was not recognised by the Asgardians. Then, the two sides clashed. Loki fought fiercely against the people he had once thought of as his. Well, in the loosest of terms. They at least never gave him any respect. Though, that was not what urged him to fight.  
No, what urged him to fight was the thought that these were his people now. The people of Jotunheim, who celebrated him, who honor him, who praised him for who he was. In the last few weeks, these people felt more like his people than the asgardians ever did.  
He purposefully avoided facing Thor, because he felt he could not fight his brother, so soon after they had just repared their relationship.   
He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice they were losing ground, until he got struck by a lightning bolt.  
Great,  
He thought.  
Thor has been getting better at his control.  
While Loki still did occasionally assist Thor in his training, his brother sometimes snuck away to practice by himself. Loki allowed him to have his privacy.  
He turned his mind back to the pressent and looked around. The Jotun were falling back. Many seemed to have been struck by Thor. Moral seemed to be failing.  
It took Loki a moment to realise it was because of Thor's lightning that they were losing moral.  
Of course. These people had been raised with the stories of the tearable Asgardians, who suppressed everyone they concurred. Of Odin, their tyrant king, and of Thor, the thunderer who killed their kind for sport.  
Loki had heard these tales and more from the many times he had wondered, both as himself and in disguise, among the people of Jotunheim. They were terrified of Thor, and it was up to Loki to help them.  
"Jotun!" He shouted, catching his people's attention.  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"Look around you! Look at this. Odin and the people of Asgard are attempting to chain us once more. They have dominated us for long enough. Even now, Odin sends his son, the thunderer, to frighten us into submission as he has done before!"  
There were yells from the Jotun.  
"Do not let them scare you. We are stronger. They may burn through the Nine Realms like a fire of destruction, but we are as strong, and as unyielding as ice. They tell their children we are the monsters, but we all know who the true monsters are!"  
The shouting became louder.  
"Do not falter. Do not let them frighten you. We are stronger. And we will fight, bleed, and die until our people are free!"  
It worked. His people now stood straighter, stronger. They lifted their weapons high, magical energy crackled in the air. They began to push back more fiercely than ever.  
And the Asgardians began to fall back. Loki did not know if it only took a few minutes, or a few hours, but soon the attacking asgardians were retreating. Soon, they could see the swirling colours of the Bifrost, and they were gone.  
Exhaustion then overcame Loki. He looked around. Many Jotun bodies lay on the ground, either dead or dying. However, there were an equal number of asgardians. He looked around at the remaining Jotun. They seemed as exhausted as him, however, they soon began smiling widely. They were clearly overjoyed from their victory.  
And then the chanting began.  
"Loki, Loki Loki..."  
Loki was surprised. They were chanting his name? He had never thought that any army would chanting for him. However, these people were.  
His astonishment was only increased when he was suddenly lifted from his feet and held high above the Jotun heads on a shield, much as a war hero would be. His ears echoed with the continued chanting.  
"Loki! Loki! Loki!"  
This felt so strange to him. However, Loki could not help his heart from swelling with joy.   
He had led these people, his people, to victory. He now truly felt that this was where he belonged. That this, was his home.

The next few hours consisted of finding the dead and beginning arrangements for a mass burial, sending condolences to the deceased's families, healing the wounded, and making arrangements to repair any property damage. He had also insisted that the dead asgardians be sent through a portal back to Asgard. Many protested this, arguing that they would not give them the same courtesy. However, Loki retorted that this was exactly why they should do it, to prove that they were better than the asgardians.  
He took some time to personally talk to those who had thought in the battle, to thank them for being so quick in their defense. They in tern thanked him for his bravery and leadership. Loki was still not entirely sure he deserved this.

It was nightfall by the time Loki was able to rest. He sat in an armchair in one of the smaller drawing-rooms, a goblet of wine in his hand.  
"Prince Loki."  
Loki let out a sigh as he looked up to see Skjold enter the room.  
"Yes, what else is there." He said tiredly.  
"Nothing that requires your immediate attention." The Jotun replied. "I merely wished to congratulate you on our victory."  
"Thank you." Loki replied. "Though, I did not do much."  
Skjold scoffed as he sat in another armchair.  
"Did not do much." He said. "Yes, you only led us in a great victory against the asgardians, and raised our moral when we felt victory was nowhere in sight."  
Loki did not reply. Skjold lent forward and his face softened.  
"He would have been proud of you."  
Again, Loki did not reply. He knew of who Skjold was referring to.  
Over the past few weeks, they had spoken frequently of Loki's biological father. He had learnt much of Laufey from Skjold. His love of art and music, how he cared for his people. Every new fact he learnt about his father, the more he felt guilty for killing him. Laufey was truly a good king, and a good man. Far better than Odin had or would ever be.  
"You know," Skjold continued. "I think that you have proven yourself today, even to those nay sayers."  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Proven what?"  
"That you have the makings of a true king." Skjold replied with conviction.  
Loki sighed. Skjold had more than once tried to persuade him to take his rightful throne. However, Loki had never felt quite ready, or quite deserving.  
"Skjold, I have already told you..." He began.  
Skjold lifted a hand.  
"I know, I know. But I feel there will be even more people demanding you take your throne now."  
Skjold's expression softened.  
"I know how you feel, concerning your hand in Laufey's death..."  
Loki shook his head.  
"I know what you are going to say. I was only a victim, manipulated by Odin to hate my true heritage..."  
He shook his head again.  
"But it is more than that." He continued. "I was still the one who killed him. I killed him of my own volition. I was the one to strike the killing blow and..."  
"Do you feel guilty for it?" Skjold asked.  
"Of course I do... Now at least." Loki replied.  
"Well, that is all that matters." He said reasonably. "From what I have heard, you suffered enough for your crime, and you feel remorse for your actions."  
He frowned.  
"And better you than that Demon woman." He spat in distaste.  
Loki nodded.  
"I understand. After today, I feel as if I could potentially..."  
Skjold began to smile.  
"However," Loki continued. "We need to think about this from a logical standpoint. How exactly am I meant to keep my alliance with Hela a secret, while properly ruling Jotunheim?"  
He sighed.  
"I have already seen the results of Hela neglecting the management of Jotunheim itself in favour of plotting her revenge. I do not know how I can take care of what needs to be done while maintaining this secret."  
"I can help you." Skjold replied. "I have experience with assisting Laufey in such matters. And I am sure there are others who would be willing to help you, until this conflict with Asgard is finished."  
Loki smiled appreciatively.  
"Thank you." He said.  
There was a moment of silence.  
"There is, another thing." Loki began. "A few years ago, when Thor, his companions and I ventured here to confront Laufey concerning the Jotun who broke into Asgard."  
Skjold nodded.  
"I remember. Thankfully, the casualties were minimal."  
"Still," Loki continued. "I contributed to these casualties."  
He sucked in a breath.  
"I wish for you to find out who exactly these casualties were, and any family they left."  
"Why?" Skjold asked.  
Loki clenched his fists.  
"I wish to formally apologise, for both my actions, and the actions of Thor and his friends."  
Skjold nodded.  
"That is surprisingly noble of you."  
Loki chuckled.  
"Don't say that too loudly. I still have a reputation to uphold as the God of Mischief."  
Skjold put a massive hand on his shoulder.  
"You may be the God of Mischief," He began. "But today, you have proven yourself to be more. You have proven yourself to be a true son of Jotunheim, and a true king."  
Loki nodded.  
"Thank you." He said. "And today, the people of Jotunheim have shown me that... That they are my true people."  
Loki sucked in a breath. He thought he had finally come to a decision. It may be a foolish one, but it felt so right to him.  
He looked directly into Skjold's red eyes.  
"I believe I am ready to claim my birthright as king of Jotunheim."


	12. Learning pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a miracle, Thor, Loki, and Hela are learning.

Chapter 12:

Thor stumbled through the palace gates, what was left of the Asgardian regiment that had been assigned to him in not much better shape. All of them had at least some form of injury. The more heavily wounded were supported by those with not so intensive wounds. Many of their dead had had to be left behind in the retreat.  
Thor looked over the tired and still shell-shocked soldiers. Of the two hundred that had left mere hours ago, only ninety were left. The casualties may have just been over half, but it may as well have been all but a few of them.  
This was meant to have been an easy mission. Odin had purposefully attacked one of Freya's strongholds, as he knew Hela would be called upon for help. With Hela distracted, Odin believed there would be no one to rally Jotunheim. There would be no one to lead the defense of one of Hela's most powerful allies. After all, Hela was the one keeping the frost-giants from killing each other.  
Or at least, that was what Odin thought.  
And oh, how he was terribly wrong.  
What was supposed to be a simple mission, to eliminate the threat of a united Jotunheim, turned into one of the most terrible defeats Thor had ever experienced.  
Not just from the numbers, but from the speech that strange frost-giant had said. There was something about that giant, but Thor could not quite put his finger on it.  
Nevertheless, Thor's mind was turning with the words.  
Even as he ordered each and every soldier report to the healers, the words still echoed in his head.  
"... Odin and the people of Asgard are attempting to chain us once more. They have dominated us for long enough..."  
Was this what the frost-giants thought of them? As people who enchained and dominated others?  
Thor winced. Before, he may not have cared much about what the frost-giants thought of him. After all, he had been raised to believe the people of Asgard were the superior race. That they were the ones to guide the rest of the Nine Realms. That they were there to bring peace and stability.  
But now, his opinions had been greatly changed, especially by his midgardian friends. After all, he had once thought that the people of Midgard were nothing, weak, in the face of the rest of the Nine Realms. But he now fought beside heroes, mightier even than many in Asgard. Perhaps even mightier than himself.  
And then there was Loki. The brother he loved dearly.  
Loki was a frost-giant, or at least partly so. Thor did not believe him a monster, as he had been told the race of the frozen realm were. And how can you call someone a monster, based purely on their race.  
"... Even now, Odin sends his son, the thunderer, to frighten us into submission as he has done before! ..."  
Was this what the frost-giants thought of him? Did they believe him to be nothing more than a weapon, for his father to use to frighten the Nine Realms into submission. If so, then was this how the other realms saw him?  
"Thor?"  
Thor was startled out of his thoughts as Sif walked up to him, her eyes fixed on him.  
"Sif." He greeted.  
As the shield-maiden approached, her gaze flicked to Thor's arm.  
"Thor, you're bleeding."  
"Huh...?"  
He glanced to where Sif was staring. Indeed, there was a small trickle of blood.  
"Oh, do not worry, it is a mere flesh wound." He said as he wiped it away with his finger.  
"A mere flesh wound." Sif scoffed.  
She examined Thor more closely.  
"I am guessing the attack did not go to plan." She said.  
Thor chuckled bitterly.  
"You could say that." He replied.  
He sighed. Sif put a hand on his arm.  
"What happened?" She asked in concern.  
Thor shook his head.  
"It turns out, Hela is not the one keeping the frost-giants from killing each other." He said. "No, they have all united under a common cause."  
"Which is?" Sif asked.  
Thor clenched his fist.  
"To free themselves from the oppressive chains of Asgard." He replied.  
Sif scoffed.  
"Oppressive?" She asked sceptically. "We are not oppressive."  
"But what if we are?" Thor asked, staring straight into Sif's eyes. "You did not see them Sif. There was one of them... He... He rallied the defenders with a speech and... And now I do not know..."  
Sif scoffed again.  
"You are listen to the words of frost-giants?"  
Thor nodded.  
"Today I have seen a new perspective." He said. "All my life, I have thought the frost-giants monsters..."  
"But they are." Sif said, frowning.  
Thor only shook his head.  
"No, I... I do not believe so now." He replied. "They... They are only another race, Sif. A race we once fought against... So of course we would have invented stories of how they were monsters."  
Thor shook his head.  
"But we can not call someone a monster merely because they are different."  
Sif was silent, obviously at a lose for words. Thor stared directly into her eyes.  
"Sif... What... What if we are the monsters?"  
Sif's mouth dropped open.  
"How can you think such a thing?" She asked in shock.  
Thor sighed.  
"We dominate over the Nine Realms, call ourselves the superior race... But really, they remained loyal to us because of my father's conquest so long ago."  
He remembered the murals which Hela had revealed when she had briefly vissited Asgard.  
"Look around you Sif. The golden realm." He spat. "Well, where do you think all of this gold came from? After all, Asgard is not known for mining."  
He shook his head.  
"No, we took it with blood and death, and kept it through fear and subjugation."  
"Thor, what are you saying?" Sif asked, a note of fear in her voice.  
Thor clasped her hand tightly, as if he were searching for some form of comfit.  
"What if we are the one's in the wrong, and Hela, Freya, and their allies are in the right?"  
Sif's eyes widened.  
"Thor, what you speak is treason."  
Thor sighed and shook his head.  
"I know, but..." He shook his head again. "I assure you, I will not betray my father, but..."  
Sif squeezed his hand reassuringly.  
"Do not worry Thor." She said quietly. "No matter what you do, know that I will always hold my sword for you."  
Thor smiled.  
"Thank you Sif." He said in relief. "I am fortunate to have a friend like you."  
For a moment, Thor could have sworn Sif's face flickered with some strange emotion. However, she quickly returned his smile.  
"Yes, you can always count on me Thor. Now, let us go tend to your wounds."  
Thor nodded and let Sif lead him to the healers, in a slightly better mood than he had been before.

The training-yard was full of the sounds of clashing swords as Hela and Nebula spared.  
"So you are just giving him the throne?" Nebula asked as the swords clashed.  
"Yes, of course." Hela replied. "It is his birthright, after all. I was merely waiting for him to be ready."  
She dodged another thrust from the cybernetic woman and quickly countered.  
"I'm just surprised you would be willing to give up all that power." Nebula remarked.  
Hela shrugged.  
"I will still be one of his advisors, and he will still be loyal to me." She said. "And in any case, I have my eye on another throne."  
"You mean Asgard?"  
Hela nodded as she aimed a kick at Nebula's legs. One which her opponent jumped out of the way of.  
"Yes, of course." Hela replied. "It is my throne, and I look forward to finally killing that fool I am forever cursed to have as a father."  
They continued to exchange blows.  
"And then what?" Nebula asked.  
"What do you mean, "And then what?"?" Hela demanded.  
Nebula merely shrugged.  
"What will you do once you are queen of Asgard?"  
Hela blinked.  
"Rule Asgard, obviously."  
Nebula raised an eyebrow.  
"Really, because you do not seem like the kind of person who would be satisfied with sitting around and listening to councillors all day. I might not have any experience with ruling a realm, but I think there's more to it than fighting battles every day."  
Hela sighed.  
"It is true, I do find some of the more arduous tasks quite dreary." She said. "Admittedly, I have been procrastinating when it comes to things such as all of the administrative paperwork."  
Hela chuckled.  
"Loki actually complained to me about how he spent most of the day he was left in charge going through the paperwork I have been neglecting, and he apparently wasn't able to get even halfway through."  
Nebula eyed her.  
"That is what I mean." She said. "You are a warrior, not an administrator. You can't just procrastinate something you do not want to do."  
Hela shrugged.  
"Why do you even want to be queen of Asgard, anyway?" Nebula asked.  
Hela frowned.  
"I have already told you." She replied, slightly irritated. "It is my birthright."  
Much to Hela's annoyance, Nebula merely scoffed.  
"Is that seriously the only reason?" She asked.  
Hela raised an eyebrow.  
"What other reason do I need?"  
Nebula also raised an eyebrow.  
"Wouldn't you rather be doing something you actually enjoy doing?" She asked.  
Hela was silent. What would she want to do, if not be Queen of Asgard? For so long, her only desire had been to take out her revenge on Odin and reunite with her son... But at the same time, what would she do, once Odin was dead. Could she really spend the rest of her days, going through paperwork, sitting in long and exhausting council meetings? The war councils were tiring enough. But what about those which would concern meaningless and teedious things?  
Hela shook her head.  
"It does not matter what I want." She muttered.  
Nebula made to reply, but they were interrupted by the cry of Vidar from the cot near the edge of the training-yard.  
"Perhaps we should take a break." Hela said, dropping her weapon and quickly walking to the crying babe.  
Nebula put the weapons away and left the training-yard. Hela let out a breath. The blue woman's words still echoed in her mind, even as she tended to her younger son's needs.

Loki let out a breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was in his full Jotun form, red eyes glowing like crimson fire. He now wore ceremonial furs, especially tailored for this event.  
His mind was still turning with second thoughts and last minute fears. What if he was wrong? What if the people of Jotunheim did not accept him? What if he was not worthy...?  
He was broken from his thoughts as the door to his chambers opened.  
"Have you ever heard of knocking?" He asked as Skjold entered the room.  
"My apologies." The jotun said.  
He scanned Loki from head to toe.  
"Am I to your liking?" Loki asked jokingly.  
Skjold chuckled.  
"You look incredible." He replied. "The picture of a true king of Jotunheim."  
A small smile flickered over Loki's lips.  
"Thank you." He replied.  
Skjold stepped closer and put a large hand on his shoulder.  
"Do not be nervous." He said softly.  
Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Whoever said I was nervous?“ He asked.  
Skjold chuckled.  
"It is obvious when you know what to look for." He said.  
He stared into Loki's eyes.  
"Do not worry." He said. "They all want you. They have been eagerly awaiting this day for weeks, even months."  
Loki nodded.  
"Thank you, for your support." He said genuinely.  
Skjold smiled.  
"Your father was one of my closest friends." He said. "It is the least I could do."  
He looked at Loki seriously.  
"And it is more than t.“ He continued. "Over the past months, I have seen that you have the makings of a good king."  
Loki nodded.  
"Well then, let us not keep them waiting."  
Skjold smiled and patted him on the back, almost sending Loki falling onto his face.  
"That is the spirit." He said.  
Loki sucked in one final breath.  
"Well, it is now or never." He muttered as both he and Skjold left the room.

It seemed as if half of the realm had come to witness his coronation. Men, women and even children stood in their finest clothes, cheering loudly. It was almost overwhelming for Loki.  
He briefly recalled Thor's own coronation ceremony. He could not help but wonder if this was how Thor felt, as he walked down the ile. However, instead of Odin being the one at the other end, there was a gathering of some of the court elders. Hela stood to one side of the dais, Vidar, as always, in her arms.  
Five more steps, and he would be there. Four, three, two... One final breath and he was there.  
The elders towered above him, and yet he still nealt before them.  
"Loki Laufeyson," The chief elder began in a booming voice. "We have all gathered here to determine weather you are worthy of being the King of Jotunheim."  
The crowd began to cheer. The elder raised a hand and they all fell silent once again.  
"Do you swear to uphold law and justice within the realm?"  
"I swear." Loki replied, calmer than he felt.  
"Do you swear to stand and fight for all people, great or small?"  
"I swear." He said, more confidently.  
"And do you swear, to treat others fairly, equally, and justly, with no bias?"  
"I swear!" He said, his voice echoing through the chamber.  
"Then we, the elders of Jotunheim, proclaim you Loki Laufeyson, king of Jotunheim, and protector of the realm!"  
The last thing Loki remembered was the booming applause of the crowd, before a sudden feeling of cold swept over him. Then, he heard nothing, and all he could see was a blinding white light.

After a few seconds, or maybe even a few minutes, the whiteness surrounding him cleared and Loki found himself in what appeared to be a frozen wasteland. He looked around, to find that he was alone.  
Or at least, alone until he heard the voice.  
"Loki."  
He quickly turned around, and what he saw shocked him to the core.  
No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. He was dead.  
And yet, here he was, walking towards Loki, his red eyes fixed on him.  
His father, Laufey.  
"No.“ He breathed. "It... It can't be."  
Laufey finally reached him. Much to Loki's surprise, the Jotun was smiling.  
"It is me." He replied.  
"How?" Loki asked. "You... You are dead... I... I..."  
"Do not worry." Laufey replied calmly. "This happens whenever a new ruler of Jotunheim is coronated. Their predecessor visits them to give the force of winter to them."  
"The force of winter?" Loki asked.  
Laufey chuckled.  
"It is a deeply held secret. Only members of the royal family know about it. It is the magic which keeps our realm alive, much as the Odinforce keeps Asgard alive. All realms have some variant of this magic."  
"But I thought... The casket..."  
Laufey shook his head.  
"The casket is merely a way for others to access the force of winter, mostly for heirs to learn how to control it before being given full control of the magic."  
At last, Loki's thoughts caught up to him.  
"Oh..." He began. "I... I..."  
He fell to his knees.  
"I am sorry... I... I was a fool who believed in all of Odin's lies and..."  
"Loki..."  
"I instantly believed Odin's words... That I had been abandoned... And I did not try to get another side of the story and..."  
"Loki..."  
"... I should have at least confronted you about it... But no, I just killed you because I was a foolish child desperate for the approval of a man who would never give it..."  
Loki was broken off as he was suddenly lifted from where he was knelling. Laufey was now holding him in his arms, as an adult would hold a child.  
"Shhh." Laufey hushed gently. "Do not worry Loki, I am not angry with you. I never was."  
"You... You're not?" Loki asked.  
Laufey shook his head.  
"I was sadden at first, yes... But I have been watching you, ever since my death."  
Loki looked down.  
"Not very entertaining." He muttered.  
Laufey's grip tightened on him.  
"You are not the villain Loki, you are the victim. A victim of Odin's manipulations and lies. Of his neglect and blatant favouritism."  
"That is still no excuse." Loki muttered.  
Laufey sighed.  
"I know." He said. "But I still love you Loki. And I am proud of you."  
Loki scoffed.  
"How can you say that?"  
Laufey stared straight into his eyes.  
"I have seen how much you have suffered, from your own mind and from that madman Thanos."  
Loki flinched. Laufey stroked his hair soothingly.  
"You are stronger than Odin, or Thor, or even Hela. You may not be as great of a warrior, but you are much more. You are a surviver."   
Laufey sighed.  
"Did you truly love her?" Loki asked.  
Laufey nodded sadly.  
"Yes. She... She always held a special place in my heart, even if I knew she would never love me as much as I love her."  
A small smile flickered over his face.  
"She was like a blazing fire, illuminating my frozen realm. Her strength, her fierceness, her determination..."  
Laufey shook her head.  
"I sometimes watch her too. It saddens me, that she is still not able to overcome what Odin had made her."  
Laufey's lips flickered in a smile.  
"Though, it is quite amusing to see her with young Vidar. Makes me wonder what life could have been like, if we were allowed to live as a family."  
Loki sucked in a breath.  
"I... I still regret killing you." He said. "Especially after all I have learnt of you. Skjold has had nothing but good things to say, just like the rest of Jotunheim..."  
Laufey's smile widely.  
"Skjold." He said. "Even when I am dead, he still proves to be a true friend."  
Loki also began to smile.  
"Shall I tell him you send your regards?"  
Laufey chuckled.  
"Well, this is supposed to be a secret." He began. "However, seeing as Skjold is such a trusted friend..."  
They were both silent for a few seconds. Then, Loki cleared his throat.  
"Do you... Do you know anything of... Of Sigyn?" He asked hesitantly.  
Laufey shook his head, a look of sadness upon his face.  
"I am sorry Loki." He said. "I have searched, but..."  
Loki let out a breath.  
"Then does this mean..."  
Laufey shook his head.  
"Do you lose hope Loki.“ He said. "She and your child may just be hidden with some very strong enchantments."  
"Is that even possible?" Loki asked. "To hide something from the dead?"  
Laufey shrugged.  
"Who knows what is and isn't possible."  
Laufey sighed.  
"We do not have much more time."  
He drew Loki closer in a tight embrace.  
"Remember Loki," Laufey said. "You are stronger than you know. You may be known as the God of Mischief, but you are much more. You are a true king. And you are a surviver. But most of all, you are, as you have always been and always will be, my son."  
"Thank you." Loki said. "Father."  
Laufey's face split into a wide smile. He drew Loki into one final embrace.  
"Oh, and before we part," He began. "Your mother, Frigga, I mean, wished for me to tell you that she is always with you, just as I am."  
Loki smiled sadly.  
"And also remember," Laufey continued. "That we are both deeply proud of you, and we will always love you, weather you be Laufeyson, Odinson, Helason or Friggason."  
Loki wrapped his own arms around Laufey's neck, before his father gently placed him down and the seen faded.

The next thing he knew, he was back in the ceremony, the crowd cheering loudly. It was as if no time at all had passed.  
He got to his feet and was immediately assaulted by the crowd, coming up to welcome there new king.  
After what felt like hours of hearing congratulations for his new subjects, speeches from various officials, including himself, and countless oaths of fealty, Loki could finally sneak away from the main festivities and lean against a wall in exhaustion.  
"Tired, my king?"  
Loki smiled tiredly as Skjold approached.  
"A little." He replied.  
Skjold chuckled.  
"I assure you, you will get used to it."  
Loki nodded.  
"Thank you, for all of your support." He said.  
Skjold merely smiled.  
"It was the least I could do."  
Loki nodded.  
"Still, I am grateful." He replied.  
"As is my father."  
Skjold blinked.  
"What?"  
Loki's smile widened.  
"Laufey sends his regards."


End file.
